Cheers to 50 years: Friendship Fest toasts to milestone celebration

BOURBONNAIS – As Sunday’s grand parade finished rolling down South Main Street, the village of Bourbonnais and dozens of dedicated volunteers basked in a bittersweet moment.

The 50th anniversary celebration of the Friendship Festival had come to an end. Half a century of festival festivities are in the book.

But even as vendors closed up shop and carnival rides were deconstructed, residents and attendees from near and far know one thing for sure — the fest will return next year.

The Friendship Festival shone on the grounds of The Grove at Robert Goselin Memorial Park. The five-day event had fun, food, rides and music.

Festival Chairman Bob Steinke said they brought in tribute bands to make this year’s event worthy of a golden anniversary.

Fleetwood Gold, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, closed out the live entertainment Saturday before fireworks ended the night.

Bingo, honoring veterans and the annual Bourbonnais Fire Protection District fish fry all added to another successful year.

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50th Bourbonnais Friendship Festival Attendees sit on the hill at The Grove to enjoy live music during the 50th Bourbonnais Friendship Festival on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette/Tiffany Blanchette)

The family-friendly festival started as Bourbonnais’ celebration of its 100th anniversary in 1975.

People enjoyed it so much, they made it an annual event.

Over the years, various memorabilia have been collected and a display in the Robert Latham Community Room at the village’s municipal building during the festival depicted much of this history.

In that display, a letter from then-chairperson Mary Ann Kirsch, a lifelong Bourbonnais resident and advocate as well as a longtime festival volunteer with her husband, Dan, greeted village residents and friends with a message in the 1975 Centennial Celebration program.

It began, “A year ago, a centennial pageant was just a seed of thought in a few minds. Today, after a year’s gestation, we have “Hooray Bourbonnais,” not a pageant, but a story. What made this ‘seed’ grow and blossom into what we see today on stage ... can best be described as a labor of love.”

A letter from then-chairman Mary Ann Kirsch greets village residents and friends in the 1975 Centennial celebration program. It begins, "A year ago, a centennial pagaent was just a seed of thought in a few minds. Today, after a year's gestation we have "Hooray Bourbonnais," not a pageant, but a story. What made this 'seed' grow and blossom into what we see today on stage ... can best be described as a labor of love." (Tiffany Blanchette)

While Mary Ann Kirsch passed away in January this year, that labor of love is carried on through volunteers who worked alongside her and those yet to come who will continue to cultivate the legacy of the Friendship Festival.

From the many visitors who stopped by to smell the flowers to the volunteers already planting the seeds for next year’s event, the village of Bourbonnais says “au revoir.”

Or, goodbye until we meet again.