Skokie's all-out annual festival, Backlot Bash, drew about 30,000 people to its many events and facets over the past weekend, said Jim Bottorff, a spokesman for the Skokie Park District, one of several event sponsors.
The Backlot Dash 5K on Saturday morning drew a record number of participants. The winners were Karyn Polak, 42, of Morton Grove in 22:38, and Daniel Herrera, 41, of Chicago in 18:33.
"The Park District does a lot of the heavy lifting, but we couldn't do it without the Skokie Chamber of Commerce, the Village of Skokie, the Skokie Library and the IMODS (Independent Merchants of Downtown Skokie)," said Mike Reid, chair of the Skokie Park District board.
Howard Meyer, executive director of the Skokie Chamber of Commerce, said the bash was a good example of how Skokie institutions can partner to pull off something big.
"It's what makes Skokie a great town," he said.
Besides the 5K, the Bash included a carnival, main music stage, indoor library stage, the Silent Film Festival, the classic auto show, pancake breakfast and farmer’s market, bingo, business expo, teen dance, kids’ activities and dunk tank, the Heritage Museum and Log Cabin and food and beverage areas.
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