Bloomingdale will celebrate its past and look to its future with the annual Septemberfest celebration, a daylong event held in the historical district.

The festivities, featuring a parade, car show, rides, games, and a scholarship competition, will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6 in Old Town, located near Lake and Third streets.

In its 36th year, Septemberfest is held the weekend after Labor Day and provides local nonprofit organizations a fundraising opportunity, said event organizer Bill Wolff.

A unique aspect of Septemberfest is that the festival tries to be as local as possible, with an emphasis on the community, he said.

“A lot of festivals work hard to try to pull outside people in; ours is the opposite,” Wolff said. “We try to keep it as local as possible.

“It has always had a history of being very community-oriented.”

The annual Joe Draghi Memorial Scholarship will be awarded from dozens of applications sent to the Septemberfest Committee.

Businesses and residents donate to the fund, which has raised thousands of dollars for students ages 16 to 20 to continue their education. Started in 1987 with a single award of $400 to a Bloomingdale resident, the program has grown to provide more than $8,000 in scholarship money, which Wolff said, is a way of “investing in the future of the village through the children.”

Wolff said four scholarships of $2,000 each will be given based on applications submitted during the summer.

“We are also looking to provide some scholarships for athletic programs within the community, such as baseball and football programs from local organizations to help the kids out,” he said.

The event begins with the annual parade at 11 a.m. at DuJardin School along Euclid Avenue, then turns north to Schick Road and marches west on Schick into Old Town. The event features floats, marching bands, the Medinah Clown Unit and Black Horse Troop, and a one-third scale model of a Piper Navajo “street-cruising” airplane.

Organizer Gloria Tomaras said the parade will have 500 walkers this year and will be different from last year’s event.

“We try to mix it up a little each year,” she said. “We are also having a kids section, where they can decorate their bikes or skateboards to participate in the parade.”

Other highlights include a craft show, and the Classic Car and Motorcycle Show from 3 to 5 p.m., where trophies are awarded for best vehicles in the show.  

Musical entertainment will be provided by The Sting Rays from 3 to 5 p.m. and the ’60s flashback band The New Invaders from 7 to 10 p.m. The Bloomingdale Park District Gymnastic and Drill Team will perform at 2 p.m., and a disc jockey from M&R Music will provide entertainment during the event as well.