Friday
Rollin’ on the River Concert: Andrew Huber / 7-9PM / Rollin’ on the River Concerts along the Riverwalk are on Friday evenings through Aug. 2 and will be held at the Riverwalk Free Speech Pavilion located near the Dandelion Fountain at Jackson Ave. and Webster St. For more info visit www.napervilleparks.org.
Y Movie Night at Central Park – Rise of the Guardians / Dusk (7:30 – 10PM) / Spend some quality free time with your family this summer. Bring your friends, picnic dinner, blanket and bug spray for an evening under the stars. You might even want to order box lunches from one of the downtown Naperville eateries such as Quigley’s Irish Pub, right there near Central Park on Jefferson. Movies begin at dusk (about 8:15PM in July). Central Park is located near the Kroehler Family Y at Washington & Benton Streets. For info and updates, call (630) 420-6270.
Live Music at CityGate Grille / 8-11:30PM / Jive away select weekend evenings with live music at CityGate Grille. Stephen Lynerd to perform jazz. CityGate Grille is located in the Calamos Investments building at CityGate Centre, I88 and Rt. 59. For dinner reservations call (630) 718-1010 or visit www.citygategrille.com.
Saturday
Farmer’s Market at 5th Ave. Station / 7AM – noon / Through October 26, the Naperville Farmer’s Market Association will hold its farmer’s market every Saturday from 7AM to noon at the Fifth Ave. Station parking lot. For more information, call (630) 369-5638.
Wicked Good Café Book Event / 11AM / In conjunction with HEAR US, Debi and Rick Scott, owners of Wicked Good Café, will host a book event focused on homeless children. Their daughter, 11-year-old Tess, will read “Where Can I Build My Volcano?” Written by Naperville’s acclaimed photojournalist and author Pat Van Doren, the award-winning children’s book tells the poignant story of a young girl who struggles with not having a place to call home.
Many folks locally will recall Van Doren’s photos from her earlier career with the Naperville Sun.
The timing of the event helps mark the 20th anniversary of a Naperville-originated initiative that led to passing the Illinois Education for Homeless Children and Youth Act in 1993, aka “Charlie’s Bill,” a name that evolved from Van Doren’s iconic photo of Charlie, a homeless boy holding a cat, his belly hanging out and shoes on the wrong feet. Wicked Good Café is located in the Cress Creek Shopping Center, 790 Cress Creek Ct. For more information, visit www.wickedgoodcafe.com.
Naperville Ale Fest / noon – 5PM / The inaugural Naperville Ale Fest will take place on Sat., July 20. Located on the grounds of Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., with Downtown Naperville as a backdrop, it is the ideal setting to experience craft beer. The festival will feature more than 180 unique beers from craft breweries around the country. For information or to purchase tickets, visit www.napervillealefest.com.
Rockin’ for the Troops / noon – 10PM / The 8th annual Rockin’ for the Troops concert presented by Operation Support Our Troops-American is slated for Sat., July 20. Country singer Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn, an ACM, CMA and Grammy winner, will headline on stage along with The Voices, the new Kimo Williams All Veteran Band and ARRA at Cantigny Park in Wheaton. Tickets are $25. Cantigny Park is located on S. Winfield Rd. in Wheaton Tickets are available at most Naperville and Wheaton Jewel-Osco stores or online at http://www.tix4cause.com/donations/tickets/2130.
Related Posts: From ‘Red Dirt Road’ to Rockin’ For The Troops: The Ronnie Dunn Interview
Pulse of Naperville Music Scene – Rockin’ for the Troops returns to Cantigny
Sunday
Casey’s Fires up the Grill / 10AM – 2PM / Casey’s Foods fires up its grill every Saturday and Sunday through October at Naperville Plaza, Gartner and Washington. Purchase reliable stand-bys — burgers, brats, steak and chicken tacos, etc. — and enjoy grilled specials every weekend throughout the summer and fall. Picnic tables provide seating under cover, too.
Vintage Baseball Game at Naper Settlement / 1 – 4PM / Return to a time when baseball was a gentleman’s sport, the umpire was never wrong and players formed teams for the pure enjoyment of the game. A vintage baseball exhibition game between the Chicago Salmon and the DuPage County Plowboys, played by 1858 rules, will be held from 1 to 4PM Sunday, July 21 at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. Game included with admission: $12/adult (13+), $10/senior (62+) and $8 youth (4-12 years). Members and Naperville residents are free.
