Small-town communities and long-running annual celebrations seem to go hand in hand.

The village of Herscher fully embodied that notion over the weekend, hosting its 104th annual Labor Day Celebration – the longest-running annual event in Kankakee County.

The weekend kicks off three days of entertainment at Village Park on Saturday, with Sunday featuring the 44th annual Hare and Tortoise Race and the 10th annual Bunny Dash.

Monday’s Grand Parade is the main event as hundreds descend upon the rural farming community for a holiday full of festivities following the hour-long parade, which features local youth sports teams, marching bands, businesses, churches and, of course, tractors.

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104th Herscher Labor Day Gianna High, right, and Sophie Venckauskas, teammates in soccer and cross country, walk with fellow Herscher High School athletes down Main Street passing out candy during the 104th annual Herscher Labor Day Celebration Grand Parade on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. (Tiffany Blanchette/Tiffany Blanchette)

At the conclusion of the parade, the majority of the crowd makes the pilgrimage of a couple of blocks to Village Park at the center of town.

Children’s excitement echoed through the park as they enjoyed the kids’ area full of inflatables and face-painting, accompanied by the dings of dimes hitting winnable glassware at the Herscher FFA dime toss.

As the Village Park Stage was being readied to host the Herscher School District Music Department performances, action on the ball field had commenced for the 21st annual Co-Ed 16-inch Softball Tournament championship day.

The majority of the teams in the tournament are comprised of family members, from siblings and cousins to their significant others, as well as former schoolmates from a range of graduating classes.

One such team includes the team sponsored by Pop’s Wagner Farms, a four-generation farm in Buckingham now operated by Adam Wagner.

Wagner’s daughter and son-in-law were playing alongside their childhood friends in the three-day tourney. Much of the rest of the family was in tow on the sidelines to cheer them on, including the fifth-generation grandchildren.

While the team took third place, it was the crowd of interconnected people gathering for the games, and in the park and adjacent beer tent, that made the annual event so meaningful, Wagner said.

“There’s not a whole lot to do, but everyone comes out to be part of the community event,” Wagner said. “This is why we live in the Herscher community.

“The fact this event brings in thousands of people to a town of about 1,500 - that’s something special. It’s inspiring to me to see my kids supporting that, too.”

Wagner said the whole family also comes home every year to work the Saturday night shift at the beer tent, going by the group name the Wagner Tappers.

“This year marked the 18th year that our founder Pop (Roger Wagner) led us down a path of funny t-shirts and a weekend filled with family, laughter and headaches from working the tent,” the Pop’s Wagner Farms Facebook page posted.

Wagner noted his family is far from the only family to share in these kinds of Herscher Labor Day traditions. It’s likely something kindred to many from the area, reflected in the 2025 parade theme, “Rooted in Community, Growing Together.”

“Our parents and grandparents instilled in us how important family and community is,” Wagner said. “I think that’s why so many people come to Herscher for Labor Day – it’s a feel-good day. And to sustain that for 104 years, that’s pretty powerful.”