Septemberfest recently passed, and the Schaumburg High School community wanted to acknowledge the annual festival. The fall tradition stretches back 54 years and continues to bring the local community together in a celebration of creativity, connections, and fun.
The event kicked off Saturday, August 30, with performers such as Semple Band and Danny Seraphine entertaining the crowd. On Sunday evening, the Schaumburg Bank and Trust Company hosted a fireworks display at 10 P.M. Labor Day festivities began bright and early at 10 A.M. with a two-hour parade along Summit Drive.
As in years past, SHS’s marching band entertained the early crowds midway through the parade, keeping the energy high while floats tossed candy to excited kids lining the road.
The annual Septemberfest parade gave way to hours of live music across two stages. Festivities on the Rohrman Automotive Group Local Stage began late in the morning with One Man Jam (Chris Minardi) before handing the spotlight to local favorite, Elegy Studio, who kept the energy going through the lunch hour. Minardi returned at 1:30 P.M. for a second set, warming up festivalgoers just before the parade came to a head.
Joining the lineup was the Schaumburg School of Rock House Band, which has been a Septemberfest staple since 2018. Performing at nearly 30 events and festivals each year, the group has built a strong connection with the community.
“Playing at Septemberfest is a tradition I look forward to every year,” reflected senior Luke McCoy. “It’s an opportunity to give back to the community that I love and that helped raise me.”
Organizers paused the music to announce the Parade Awards and conduct the annual SPAAAS raffle drawing, drawing a large crowd of participants and families eager to see which floats and marching groups had earned top honors. National India Hub Foundation and Schaumburg VFW Post 2202, a local veterans’ organization, were among the groups recognized for their outstanding performance.
“I got to see the inner workings of the fest and got to be a part of something that I have loved going to since a young age,” shared volunteer JA, reflecting on her impactful experience working behind the scenes.
The celebration quickly shifted gears back to performance, with the colorful costumes and traditional steps of Grupo Folklorico Quetzal taking over the stage until mid-afternoon. By 4 P.M., the atmosphere leaned toward rock classics as The Dynamix delivered an hour-long performance of familiar hits. The Aberdeen Drive Band followed at 5:30 P.M., and the night on the local stage closed with a burst of high-voltage music courtesy of Van Wailin’.
Meanwhile, the Miller Lite Main Stage offered a complement to the local acts. At 1:30 P.M.—just as the parade concluded—audiences packed the lawn for Just Like P!NK and Foo Fighters, both tribute bands that channeled plenty of energy. The evening culminated in a highly anticipated headline performance by Sister Hazel, who took the stage at 7:30 P.M. Their mix of heartfelt ballads and upbeat anthems carried festivalgoers into the night, closing out this year’s Septemberfest.
From the morning parade to the final guitar chords after dark, Schaumburg once again proved why Septemberfest remains one of the region’s most beloved Labor Day traditions.