FROM KEVIN Enjoy this last weekend of pleasant weather and shade, looks like next week is bringing that summer heat in the 90s+ right in time for the 4th. I'll have lots of 4th of July events to share next week - please share your best fireworks watching spots at the bottom of the newsletter before Thursday so I can send out a list of places to watch them! |
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THE READ Somewhere in town there is a tree with a keychain library on it, and strangers keep filling it with trinkets, painted rocks, and small kindnesses, sometimes in the middle of the night. The account behind it, Naper Sidewalk Joy, is exactly the kind of low-stakes neighborly whimsy this place does well, and it has quietly spawned a second spot around the corner. Search Naper Sidewalk Joy on Google Maps, bring a little something to leave, and take one if it speaks to you. |
| NEW THIS WEEK  Two Brothers is doing their annual pet-photo-on-a-beer-can thing again, and nominations for cats and dogs open July 1. Proceeds go to Paws for a Cause Vet Care, which funds affordable vet care for families who need it, so it's actually a decent reason to put your dog's face on a can of beer. |
| THE ROUNDUP Naper Settlement's Tuesday farmers market is back June 30, now running with The French Market and over 35 vendors, free live music, and kids' activities every week through September 22. Hours are 3 to 7 p.m., which is genuinely good timing for a late-afternoon errand that doesn't feel like an errand. |
| THE EAT A weekend of food trucks parked at the outlets, and the tickets are free, so the only real cost is whatever you cannot resist ordering. Reserve a free ticket on the Foodees site before you go. |
| THE WEEKEND The Forecast Friday is damp and cool—bring a light layer you don't mind getting slightly wet, since there's a 20% chance of showers hanging around all day. Nothing major, but it's there.
Saturday is the gem: sunny and climbing from 65 to 78 by afternoon. Leave the layer at home.
Sunday warms into the low 80s and stays humid. Start with a t-shirt, skip the jacket entirely. Partly sunny means some relief from the sun, some stretches without it. |
Four nights of bands, a beer garden, and a carnival, with the money going back to local nonprofits. Good one to make a Saturday of with the kids. |
A free afternoon and a long-running town tradition, hot dog eating contest included. An easy, low-key Sunday outing for families. |
Naperville Outdoor Alliance is doing a Bike to the Barn ride at Greene Valley Forest Preserve on Saturday, June 27, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the premise is pretty much what it sounds like: bikes, a barn, food, and a few hours outside with the kids. Greene Valley has good flat-to-rolling trail for the 4-year-old-on-a-Strider crowd, and the preserve entrance is at Hobson and Greene Roads. |
The Naperville Woman's Club Fine Art & Artisan Fair is back at Naper Settlement on Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with 100-plus juried artists lining the paths. If you've been looking for actual original work to put on the walls of a house that finally has walls worth hanging things on, this is the weekend to go. |
If you're heading downtown this weekend, there are hand-painted windows going up across a handful of businesses courtesy of an artist called Jose Art. Barber Haus, Costello Jewelry, Tapville Social, and Liam Brex Custom Design are the confirmed spots so far, with more coming. |
| THE TIP JAR  June is Great Outdoors Month, and DuPage County has a solid list of 10 trails worth actually doing with a 4-year-old in tow, from the Morton Arboretum's paved loops to the Forest Preserve paths that don't require a gear closet. The full trail list lives on the Discover DuPage Instagram, and if you're picking one for a first run, the Arboretum is the safe bet: stroller-friendly, genuinely pretty, and there's coffee at the end. |
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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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