Naper Pride Fest
Naper Pride Fest is coming to Naper Settlement this Saturday, September 10. This is the second year for the family friendly fest, which celebrates diversity and inclusivity. There will be music, food, LGBTQ+ supportive vendors and kids activities. The headliner of the day will be Grammy-award-winning singer Jody Watley, who will take the main stage at 9 p.m. The fest itself runs from noon to 10 p.m. More details as well as ticket information can be found on the event website.
Replacement Trees After Tornado
As of this summer, 260 new trees have been planted in the Naperville areas hit by the June 2021 EF-3 tornado. That’s thanks in part to a $15,000 grant the City of Naperville received in January 2022 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) Urban and Community Forestry Partner Grant Program. The funds were administered by the Morton Arboretum and the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, and covered the planting of 50 trees. 240 parkway trees in total were removed after the tornado swept through town. As per the grant requirements, the new trees are native species and will be monitored by the city for the next two years.
Labor Day Parade
The Labor Day Parade was held yesterday, weaving its way from Naperville North High School to Naperville Central. More than 50 groups took part in the annual event. This year Special Olympics gold medalists Ryan Gronowski, Louis Pisani, and Peter Silagi were chosen as grand marshals. The event was held on the final day of the Naperville Jaycees Last Fling, which brought food, music, carnival rides and family fun to downtown Naperville over the long Labor Day weekend.
Ashley Whippet Invitational
Also this weekend, nearly 75 dogs and their owners were at Nike Sports Complex, showing off some high-jumping skills with a Frisbee. The Ashley Whippet Invitational is an annual event, and in fact is the longest running disc dog competition series in the world. It’s named after Ashley Whippet, the dog whose skills helped launch the first competition in 1975. This year’s championship winner was Yachi Hiria and his dog Woof.
