Famous as the "summer home of the Chicago Bears" major league football team, the village of Bourbonnais is a growing community with a proud past that dates back to the 1800s. The village maintains more than 100 acres of parkland offering activities from passive to active, including basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic shelters, bike trails, and river access. One of the celebrations that draws the residents of the village together each year and attracts throngs of visitors is the annual Friendship Festival. A favorite since 1975 when it marked the centennial of the village, this extravaganza fills five days with non-stop entertainment and activities including a 90-minute grand parade that represents a visual delight. The presence of the private college, Olivet Nazarene University, adds a college-town flavor to the village, crowning the area's historic preservation with its own majestic buildings and lush campus. The university enriches the region culturally as well as intellectually.