Schaumburg celebrates Labor Day with parade, festival featuring Taylor Swift cover band

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. (WLS) -- The Schaumburg High School marching band was one of the favorites about halfway through the two-hour parade on Monday.

The Labor Day parade tradition goes back more than 50 years in Schaumburg. Jeanne Prothe and her family have been enjoying it since the beginning.

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"Our kids were little. Now, our grandkids are little," Prothe said.

Labor Day parades are a big tradition in many towns, including Naperville, with plenty of music, colorful floats and candy for the kids lining the route.

They are celebrating organized labor with a day of relaxation.

"Normally, we're in the parade, but this year, we're taking a little break, so, it's nice," said Schaumburg resident Anthony Neal. "With four kids, we probably got half the candy in this parade."

And after the parade, it was back to the festival for many in Schaumburg. One group drove there from Milwaukee to see the Taylor Swift cover band Taylor Nation.

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"What could be better? It's free, beautiful day. We just had to drive from Milwaukee. We're big on road trips, so it was no big deal," said Swiftie mom Ashley Cornell.

Great weather over the three-day weekend brought big crowds to festivals throughout the Chicago area for the carnivals, food and music.

"Weather, the band, good food. It all makes a difference in how this party shows up. Great year," said Rich Wiskirchen with Schaumburg Septemberfest.

If Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer, the folks there are determined to squeeze every last minute out of it. Fall and going back to work can wait until tomorrow.