AUBURN GRESHAM — The weekend shooting at the Bud Billiken Parade & Picnic will not prompt organizers of next month's 79th Street Renaissance Festival to make any security changes.
The free festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at the corner of 79th Street and Racine Avenue. There will be food vendors, music, a petting zoo for children, a Ferris wheel and a mobile arcade at the festival.
"Despite Auburn Gresham being considered one the city's most violent communities, there has never been a single incident at the festival," said Carlos Nelson, executive director of the nonprofit Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation and organizer for the event. "No changes are being made in the wake of the shooting at the Bud Billiken Parade, which I think was very unfortunate."
Starting in 2015, Nelson said, the festival will expand to three days from one.
In the nine years since the Renaissance Festival began, they have never had an incident of crime, Nelson said. Last year more than 100 volunteers from Auburn Gresham volunteered, including members of the Nation of Islam, Nelson said.
"The police already do a fine job making sure nothing gets out of hand, but with the addition of private security guards we hired and having familiar faces from the neighborhood volunteering, I think that really adds value and keeps everything peaceful," he said. "This event is not political or faith-based. It is truly a neighborhood event that is open to everyone."
Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd), whose ward includes Bronzeville, said she was deeply disturbed and saddened by the shootings because it is "negatively impacting a great tradition in the Bronzeville community."
As far as future Bud Billiken Parades, Nelson said organizers should not make any changes, such as changing the parade route or shortening the time of the parade, because of one shooting in the parade's 85-year history.
"I don't think one incident should dictate how the parade operates moving forward," he said.
Returning to the Renaissance Festival is legendary DJ Farley "Jack Master Funk" Keith, who will close out the festival from 6-7 p.m. playing his popular "house music."
The 52-year-old DJ and music producer, has been a Chicago mainstay since 1981, when he became a member of the "Hot Mix 5" DJ team at the former WBMX-FM (102.7), which is now V103.
"For all those 'old schoolers' out there, you don't want to miss one of the most popular DJs in Chicago doing his thing," Nelson said.
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