HEADS UP Wheaton Park District added a Parent & Tot Open Swim at Rice Pool, Monday through Friday, July 27-31, from 9 to 10:30 a.m., for ages 4 and under with the spray features dialed back and the waterfall off. Registration is preferred but you can walk up; link is at the Wheaton Park District Facebook page. |
The Morton Arboretum's Destination Asia Festival runs Friday, July 31 through Sunday, August 2, and the Friday night Toro Nagashi lantern ceremony on Meadow Lake is the kind of thing ages 3-5 will talk about for weeks. If you want the grown-up add-on, the ticketed An Evening in Japan on Friday, July 31 (6-9 p.m.) does koto, Japanese textiles, and a whisky tasting in the Ginkgo Room. |
Lisle's belated Fourth fireworks are happening Wednesday, July 29, at 9:00 p.m. in Lisle Community Park, with a Billy-Elton tribute show from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. serving as the warm-up act. The America 250 angle means the show is supposed to be bigger than the usual July 3 version, so if you've been looking for a reason to finally check out Lisle Community Park at night, this is a decent one. |
| THE EAT The chicken finger bracket adds another seed. Worth knowing mostly so you can decide whether it beats the drive-thru you already default to. |
| THE WEEKEND The Forecast Friday opens mild in the mid-60s so you won't need much leaving the house. It climbs to 80 by midday and stays there through evening, so layer light and be ready to shed. Saturday is steady and warm, mid-80s all day. Make sure to grab the sunscreen. Sunday heats up to 90 with a slight chance of showers and storms scattered through the afternoon and evening. Check the radar before heading out after lunch; if storms develop they'll likely arrive between 3 and 7 p.m. Morning plans are solid. |
 Nine BBQ crews are descending on Solemn Oath this Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26 for Rib Fest, and the lineup is genuinely stacked: last year's People's Champ and Judges' Champ are both back, plus Soul and Smoke and Smoky Soul BBQ Chicago, which should keep things interesting. Show up, eat a lot, and vote. |
 Filing for late July, not this weekend. A plant market with a river and a DJ is a Saturday with a built-in shape: arrive around 11, browse two laps, grab food, leave with one tropical you didn't plan to buy. The free-entry format means low-stakes if the weather turns. |
 Wheaton Park District is doing kitten yoga on Saturday, July 25, with adoptable cats from St. Sophia's Forgotten Felines crawling around while you attempt downward dog. It's beginner-friendly, part of the proceeds go to the rescue, and registration is open now at the link in their Facebook post. |
 Cantigny is running a vintage baseball game on Sunday, July 26 from noon to 3 p.m., free with parking, and the rules are genuinely weird in a great way: no gloves, no overhand pitching, no stealing, no sliding. Bring a lawn chair and let the DuPage Plowboys do their thing while you explain to ages 3-and-up why nobody's wearing mitts. |
The Lisle Park District kids are doing Willy Wonka Jr. this weekend, July 24 and 25, with 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. shows both days. Tickets are $5 online if you buy by Wednesday, July 23, so buy now and save yourself the door-price math later. |
The Naperparks summer concert series wraps Sunday, July 26 with Infunktious at Tall Grass Park, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Last one of the season, so worth getting out there. |
Register first, which is the part people skip. After that it is an hour of outdoor cardio with your neighbors, and the back row exists for a reason. |
Anderson’s punches above its weight on author events year round, and a full festival day is the version worth building a Saturday around. |
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YOUR TURN Running an event, or know something happening around town? The best stuff out here spreads by word of mouth. Be the word, we read every submission. |
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