HEADS UP Naperville Plays sets up at Knoch Knolls Park on Saturday, July 11, with hands-on stations from Naper Settlement, DuPage Children's Museum, Knoch Knolls Nature Center, and the library. Four institutions, one park, no tickets, no reservations; kids of any age are covered, and so is your Saturday morning. |
Naperville Park District is running its Unplug Illinois week July 11-19, with three $25 gift cards for people who log their outdoor time at napervilleparks.org/unplugnpd. Paddleboard and kayak rentals at the quarry start at $11 this week, which is the cheapest excuse you'll get all summer to actually do the thing. |
Wheaton Park District has a free drop-in morning at Lincoln Marsh on Friday, July 10, from 10 to 11:30 a.m., with crafts, giveaways, and open play at the Prairie Patch Play Area. Zero dollars for 90 screen-free minutes outside; RSVP at the link so they know you're coming. |
Jeni's is giving 25% of whatever you spend between 2 and 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 16 back to Naper Settlement. You were always going to get ice cream this month; make it that afternoon and it counts as philanthropy. |
| NEW THIS WEEK The bubbles are free and so is the field next to Nichols Library: Thursday, July 16, 10:30 a.m., ages 2-5. There's a heat plan too; if the heat index clears 95 that day, the whole thing moves inside to the Community Room. |
| THE ROUNDUP  Windy Acres Farm is out in Geneva, a genuine haul west, and we're telling you anyway because their 6th annual Peach Festival earns the gas money: homemade peach cobbler, tree-ripened peaches, peach ice cream and slushes, a beer garden with peach-themed drinks, and life-size hamster wheels. It runs two weekends, July 10 to 12 and July 17 to 19, farm gates 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and attractions 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; attractions are $17.99 per person and weekend unlimited wristbands are $26.99. |
| THE WEEKEND The Forecast Friday's a coin flip on rain, so keep an umbrella or rain jacket handy; it starts mild around 73 and climbs to 83 by midday, then backs off a bit by evening. Saturday clears out and stays dry, opening cool at 70 before warming to 84 by afternoon. Layers work. Sunday's the hot one of the three: steady sun, climbing to 86 with nothing stopping it. Plan indoor breaks or shade if you're out for long. |
The 3rd Annual Water Street Fine Art & Fine Craft Fair fills Water and Webster on Sunday, July 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., right next to the Riverwalk. Juried means the quality bar is real, and that stretch is one of the better pieces of downtown to wander, kids in tow or not. |
If you missed the Fourth or just want another round of fireworks, Wheaton Park District is doing it again at Graf Park on Sunday, July 12. Drone show plus fireworks is a solid combo, and Graf Park is an easy drive from most of Naperville's north end. |
 Free admission, free parking, and eight straight hours of live acts, from martial arts demos to the Kalinka Dance Ensemble, with food booths from around the world. Noon to 8, so build the rest of Saturday around it or just wander in when you get hungry. |
 Downtown Naperville's sidewalk sale covers July 9-12, four days, with a bunch of shops rotating in fresh deals each morning, so it rewards more than one lap. The participating-store list is on downtownnaperville.com under events; check it before you go to see whether the stores you care about are in. |
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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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