Summer is in full swing throughout the southwest suburbs with tons of farmers’ markets, carnivals, and street fairs for the public to attend with family and friends.
The city of Hickory Hills is no different as they held their 46th annual Street Fair on Sunday, June 28, with many attendees marching down Roberts Road between 91st and 95th streets.
Just weeks removed from experiencing an EF-2 level tornado, residents were eager to have some fun and get back out on the town, which was evident from the crowd.
Hickory Hills Mayor Mike Howley was in attendance and was very encouraged and happy to see all the residents taking in the street fair.
“It’s wonderful to see,” Howley said. “This is our 46th year of doing the street fair, and especially on the heels of getting hit by a tornado, the biggest storm the city’s ever experienced.”
The event consists of food trucks, shopping, kids activities, music, and a car show, which offers something for all ages.
One of the vendors was Bridgeview resident Sue Lopez. She spent the day selling her crochet creations as well as spending quality time with her family, who are residents of Hickory Hills.
Lopez is involved in the craft space and has done shows at Richards, Reavis, and Stagg high schools while doing the Hickory Hills Street Fair in recent years.
“I have been crocheting since I was like 13. I started doing shows like these four years ago,” Lopez said. “It’s been a pretty good crowd- good day, good sales.”
Some have other motives like trying get a taste of the Summer Americana as we approach America’s 250th Anniversary.
“Trump…it’s all about Trump. He made it happen,” joked longtime Hickory Hills resident Rick Stiegal. “We just like seeing all the residents and giving back to the community.”
Mayor Howley expressed the additions of the food trucks and the car show has brought renewed interest and life into the street fair.
“We got the food trucks which we implemented a few years ago, and those have been a big hit,” Howley said. “The car show is also a big draw – it gets bigger every year.”
Howley and his wife enjoyed a lobster grilled cheese with his wife at the street fair.
The car show featured about 100 classic cars and the participants’ entry fee went to Kruse Krew’s The Soldier Care Project, which is a nonprofit dedicated to sending care packages to troops stationed overseas since 2001.
Another street fair staple is the Holy Name Society of St. Patricia and their tent. They had a split the pot with funds raised going toward the St. Patricia Parish and their school.
“Our goal is to bring everyone together and have community affairs,” Holy Name Society president Joe Mancuso said. “Everything we make today goes back toward the parish.”
While June weather experienced in Hickory Hills had been rough, it stayed clear for a fun afternoon for all at the street fair.
“We had a great crowd today,” Mancuso said. “Weather is a lot better than last year and I want to thank everyone for coming out and supporting us.”
“It’s great to see people out. We’re recovering but we’re resilient,” Howley said. “Everyone came to enjoy the day and the whole weekend.”
