Downtown Naperville is gearing up for a busy summer ahead, with the return of some old favorites and a few new additions along the way.
“It’s going to be another exciting summer in downtown Naperville,” said Katie Wood, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance.
Summer events, new and old
Kicking off the season this Memorial Day weekend is the annual Memorial Day Parade on Monday, May 25. The parade will weave east on Jackson, north on Washington, and then east again on Benton Avenue, with a 10:30 a.m. start time. It will be broadcast live on NCTV17 both on air and online.
Friday, June 5, is the Riverwalk Duck Race, which is making its return for another year. Participants can purchase a duck to “race” down the DuPage River, starting at the Eagle Street bridge and finishing before Main Street. Proceeds from the duck purchases go toward the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation. Appropriately, this year there will be 2,026 rubber ducks released.
The Summer Wine Walk returns on June 7, including 13 wine tastings and some small bites as participants stroll through downtown, stopping at shops and restaurants.
The annual Father’s Day Car Show will take place over the holiday weekend on June 20. The free event will be along Jackson Avenue, featuring up to 100 unique and antique automobiles.
In July, the DNA will start up its summer music series, River Sounds, which will return for its second year near Jaycees WiFi Park. On Tuesday nights from July 7 to August 11, musicians set up along the Riverwalk and on the water for these free performances.
The week of July 9 through 12, local businesses take their product to the streets for the annual summer sidewalk sale.
New event “Park After Dark” coming this year
A new event, Park After Dark, will take place from July 17 to 19 at Central Park. The three evenings will feature intimate, immersive live performances at the Naperville Community Concert Center, along with engaging family-friendly experiential art moments.
Performances will include a Paul Simon tribute, female stars from the 1950s and ‘60s, and blended inspiration from Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles, among other soulful artists.
Revisiting ‘Dog Days of Summer’ sculptures
The summer sculptures this year bring back a “pupular” theme from 2019, with a small twist.
“We’re going to do dogs, Dog Days of Summer,” Wood said. “They come in all shapes and sizes, from real small dogs to very large dogs. Also, one cat, too.”
The sculptures will be installed on June 2 and stay all summer long.
Upcoming businesses
“We have a lot of new businesses that have just recently opened, and many more to come,” Wood said.
At the start of the season, athletic retailer Vuori will open at 110 West Jefferson Avenue, followed by the Belmont Steakhouse at 35 South Washington Street, where Catch 35 was previously located.
Bonci Pizzeria is coming to 22 East Chicago Avenue, and Slyce of NY will open at 215 South Washington Street.
On Water Street, new arrivals include acai bowls at Deep Purple, and Italian restaurant Lizzano Focacceria and Spritzeria.
Just announced this month, Naperville will also welcome Illinois’s second location of Brandy Melville at the Main Street Promenade late this summer or early fall.
“There’ll still be more names that we’ll announce. We don’t know them all yet, but that’s the good news,” Wood said. “There’s always new reasons to come downtown.”
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