The Naperville Municipal Band announced it will no longer host bake sales at its concerts, according to a Facebook post from the group Monday morning.
Over the years, Naperville nonprofits raised funds through the band’s bake sales at the gazebo in Central Park during Thursday night performances in the summer with cakes, pies, and cookies.
“We encourage our audience members to continue to enjoy food during our performances by either bringing treats from home or patronizing the wonderful restaurants and shops in downtown Naperville within walking distance of Central Park,” wrote the band in a post Monday.
Local resident confronts city council about bake sales
Naperville resident Douglas Reiner spoke on the concert bake sales during public forum at the June 4 Naperville City Council meeting.
Reiner said the registration process required a temporary food service permit from the DuPage County Health Department (DCHD), and claimed that the permit did not allow for a bake sale.
“Organizations that have been supporting the Naperville Municipal Band for many years, I think probably more than 20 years, can no longer participate this way,” said Reiner.
Reiner continued, saying he spoke with representatives from the DCHD and the Naperville Park District.
“Both of them confirmed for me that this is a change in policy related to the Naperville Municipal Band,” said Reiner.
The Naperville Municipal Band wrote in their Facebook post that the procedures and regulations made hosting bake sales “a highly restrictive process.”
“We regret that this long-standing tradition needs to come to an end but the great music we share will continue on,” wrote the band on Monday.
DCHD, Naperville Park District respond
A representative from the DCHD said the permit Reiner referred to “does cover and allow for bake sales.”
“Our temporary food service permit policy has not changed,” said the representative in a statement on Thursday, June 13. “Depending on the type of food being served, there may be additional requirements that need to be met.”
Naperville Park District Executive Director Brad Wilson said any time food and beverages are sold at a Naperville park, a health department permit is required.
“We informed them, moving forward starting in 2024, that if they were going to sell food items at concerts that they would need to follow our process for being able to do that at the park,” Wilson said in a call Monday morning.
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