As St. Patrick’s Day weekend approaches, the City of Naperville and Naperville Restaurant Association remind everyone to celebrate safely throughout the City. As in years past, the annual St. Paddy’s Day 5K and St. Patrick’s Day parade will provide family friendly celebration opportunities.
The Naperville Police Department has created a St. Patrick’s Day weekend operational plan to help promote a culture of safety and address anticipated crowds in the downtown, including:
- Providing public information and enforcement regarding the needs for seatbelts as well as participating in an impaired driving enforcement campaign thanks to grant funding from the Illinois Department of Transportation
- Proactively reaching out to restaurant and bar owners to remind them of approved hours of operations and coordinating additional education efforts
- Establishing extra downtown patrol details
- Conducting periodic bar checks
“In recent months, we’ve seen benefits from the proactive approach to safety in the downtown shared by the City as well as the downtown establishments and our community partners,” Police Chief Robert Marshall said. “Safety is everyone’s responsibility. The Police Department will be vigilant during this typically busy weekend and will do everything to ensure that those who come to downtown Naperville have a safe experience.”
The Police Department will be taking part in the statewide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over/Click It or Ticket” crackdown by conducting special patrols during the St. Patrick’s Day holiday period to curtail impaired drivers and safety belt law violators. Designating a sober driver and not letting friends drive impaired are just two simple steps to help avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for impaired driving.
Naperville’s restaurant and retail establishments invite residents and visitors to celebrate safely and enjoy all that the community has to offer on this weekend.
“Naperville offers an array of fun activities; enjoy the parade, stroll through Naper Settlement and enjoy hours of fun at DuPage Children’s Museum. When it comes to dining, Naperville provides a great array of choices – from casual to fancy, whether you are out for corned beef or sushi,” said Ray Kinney, Chairman of Dine Naperville. “Enjoy the St. Patrick’s Day weekend and remember: ‘Safety First!’”
St. Paddy’s Day 5K and St. Patrick’s Day Parade
The St. Paddy’s Day 5K and St. Patrick’s Day parade, both popular Naperville traditions, will take place on Saturday, March 16. Street closures and parking restrictions will be in effect for both events.
The St. Paddy’s Day 5K begins at 8AM at the intersection of West Street and Jackson Avenue. The parade begins at 10AM at Naperville North High School, located at 899 N. Mill St. The parade will continue south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Water Street to the Naperville Municipal Center.
Run and parade route streets will be closed beginning at approximately 7:15AM until approximately 11:30AM The run and parade routes only will be a no parking, tow zone from 5 a.m. to noon and will be posted accordingly. Run and parade route streets are re-opened to traffic and No Parking, Tow Zone signs removed as soon as the Naperville Police Department determines it is safe. Motorists should expect delays through the morning hours in and around the run and parade area and take alternate routes or allow extra time to get to their destination.
The times and locations of the parade and run street closures, parking restrictions and tow-away zones can be found on a color-coded map located on the City’s website at www.naperville.il.us/stpatricks.aspx. Parking is available for event participants and spectators throughout the downtown area. For more information on parking in downtown Naperville, visit www.naperville.il.us/downtownparking.aspx. A color-coded accessibility plan for the parade is available for viewing at www.naperville.il.us/stpatricks.aspx.
