The Naperville Jaycees Last Fling bids summer farewell, kicking off on Friday, Sept. 4.
The four-day annual festival runs through Monday, Sept. 7, culminating in the Labor Day Parade at 10 a.m. through downtown Naperville.
NCTV17 spoke with Jack Wood, president-elect of the Naperville Jaycees, about what guests can expect at this year’s Last Fling
Last Fling highlights
The festival offers its usual attractions of carnival games, rides, business expo and live music.
“We have a lot of street food vendors as well. It lines almost a full block of Jackson Avenue. So there’s definitely some food for everyone,” Wood said. Vendors include shaved ice, roasted corn and perogies.
The weekend will see a variety of live music performances on the Jackson Avenue Main Stage. Bands range from 80s throwbacks to pop tributes to country hits.
“One of the things that got me into the Jaycees was the Last Fling,” Wood said. “I was always coming down as a younger adult enjoying all the musical talents that we’ve had.”
New at the Fling
A new event at the festival this year will be a breakdancing competition at the Riverwalk Amphitheater on Saturday from 4 to 7 p.m.
“This breakdancing competition we’re very excited for, we think it is going to bring great awareness to the dancing community, [and] also bring out a nice crowd for people to see all these kids’ talent,” Wood said.
This year, the festival has also brought back Mega Passes, which allow guests unlimited rides over the weekend for $90. Mega Passes can only be purchased online.
Returning admission policies
Last year, Last Fling organizers implemented new admission policies that are still in place at this year’s festival.
All guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult over 25.
Only clutch-size or clear bags are allowed inside the festival gates. Diaper bags and medical bags are allowed.
A team effort for good
Community volunteers help run the festival and make the Last Fling possible.
Proceeds from the Last Fling each year go toward Naperville nonprofits. It’s the Jaycees’ largest fundraising effort of the year.
“We have an awesome committee that will take in applications from organizations around DuPage that are in need,” Wood said. “And what we’ll do is we’ll evaluate what they need, how much they ask for, dependent on how much we have to allot, and the committee will go ahead and make recommendations for donations.
More information about the weekend
The Last Fling is open until 10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. On Saturday and Sunday, the festival will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Monday, it will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Labor Day Parade will take place on Monday, Sept. 7, at 10 a.m. The parade will start outside Naperville North High School and travel through downtown Naperville. NCTV17 will broadcast the parade live on air and online.
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