Following a full year of new businesses and events in 2025, Downtown Naperville Alliance Executive Director Katie Wood shared updates on what residents can expect to find downtown in 2026.
Downtown Naperville welcomes new shops and eateries
Over 15 businesses opened in downtown Naperville last year, and at least four more are expected to arrive in the first quarter of the new year.
Lilly Pulitzer and Free People will open their doors in the Main Street Promenade at 55 S. Main Street soon after the first of the year, Wood reported. Lilly Pulitzer is a clothing brand known for its colorful patterns and prints, and Free People is a popular store for bohemian fashion.
A new pizzeria and chicken/gyro bowl place called Slyce of NY is expected to open at 215 S. Washington Street. The French patisserie Le Macaron will be at 23 W. Jefferson Street.
“The good news for downtown Naperville is that there’s a lot of attraction to it. There’s a lot of businesses actively looking, so I think it’s going to be another fabulous year,” Wood said.
She noted that more businesses can be expected throughout the year, though she did not share specific names.
Popular 2025 events return, new art installations to come
Downtown Naperville Alliance is bringing back the second annual Souper Bowl Stroll on Feb. 1. Guests can buy tickets online to tour downtown Naperville restaurants and enjoy a bowl of soup in a custom Souper Bowl Stroll mug.
Residents can also expect the return of Naperville Restaurant Week at the end of January and into February.
The Winter Wine Walk will take place on March 1, and in April, the Spring Fashion Show will return.
“We’re going to have some of the great events we started this year are going to be coming back,” Wood shared, including River Sounds on the DuPage River. Another event called Park After Dark will take place at Central Park.
“And much like the Naperville Music Box we just revealed in December. There should be a few other new, very exciting art installations that will happen this year, including our summer sculptures, which we’re already starting to work on,” Wood said.
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