Family Fun Land
The Naperville Jaycees Family Fun Land area, which is part of the Last Fling, provides a family-friendly atmosphere with bouncy rides, pony rides, an entertainment stage, arts and crafts area, food and beverages, family-focused business expo booths and much more. Family Fun Land will take place Sept. 3-4 from 10AM to 5PM and Sept. 5 from 11AM to 5PM at Naper Settlement. This is a free event.
Weed Ladies Fall Show
The Weed Ladies fall sale features creative seasonal floral arrangements with silk and dried florals and the popular dried bouquets. The Weed Ladies Fall Show will be Sept. 8-10 from 10AM to 4PM and Sept. 11 from 1PM to 4PM. Free to the sale with paid admission. For more info, visit www.napersettlement.org/weedladies.
Blacksmithing 101
Learn the art of blacksmithing with an introduction to safety, tools and the forge in this two-session class. Participants will learn hammer techniques while making an item to take home. Blacksmithing 101 will take place Sept. 10 and 17 from 8 to 11AM. For ages 18 and up; limited to 6 participants. Registration is required and is $150 for both sessions. All materials are provided.
History Speaks: 9/11 Memorial Program
Retired Naperville Fire Department captain Chuck Wehrli will discuss how he was mobilized on Sept. 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in New York, with the Missouri-based FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team. He will discuss their 10-day deployment, recovery activities and their return. Because of relationships he made with other first responders, Mr. Wehrli was able to procure a steel beam from the World Trade Center, which now rests at the Cmdr. Dan Shanower Sept. 11 Memorial. He also serves on the 9/11 committee in Naperville. This presentation is a fitting tribute to mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11. History Speaks: 9/11 Memorial Program will take place September 11 from 10:30AM to noon. Donations can be made to National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. This is a free event.
Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America
As ‘Hamilton: An American Musical’ hits the Chicago stage in Sept., Naper Settlement will celebrate Alexander Hamilton’s history! Through a traveling exhibit featuring reproductions from the Gilder Lehrman Collection and the Library of the New York Historical Society, learn how this visionary and founding father helped to shape the America we live in today. The show will also feature Revolutionary War era artifacts from the collection of Naperville residents Todd and Hillary Andrlik. The Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Made Modern America exhibit will be at Naper Settlement from Sept. 13 through Oct. 12. Free with paid admission.
Meet This Old House: Paw Paw Post Office
Walk in the footsteps once trod by Naperville’s early residents and engage with museum experts about the significance of the Paw Paw Post Office. Tour the 1833 residence of Naperville’s first postmaster Alexander Howard and come to understand its role in the town’s postal history. Guest tour guide Tom Majewski offers insight into the town’s and nation’s postal history. Majewski, a commercial and industrial electrical estimator, is a privy digger, who has been unearthing history in unlikely places for more than 20 years. For ages 13 and up only. Includes stair climbing. Meet This Old House: Paw Paw Post Office will take place on Sept. 17 from 6 to 7:30PM. Admission is $15 per person or $12 per Naper Settlement 6 members and above.
Letterpressing 101
This class for teens through adults will combine an overview of the history of letterpress printmaking, its roots in Naperville, and its resurgence as a sought out art form with a hands-on workshop that teaches a range of techniques for using vintage type to make personalized creations. Letterpressing 101 will take place Sept. 17 and 24 from 8 to 11AM. For ages 18 and up; limited to 6 participants. Registration is $150 for both sessions. All materials are provided.
Harvest Pow Wow
Celebrate Native American culture with dancing and drumming, Native flute playing, craft and food vendors and a children’s activities area. Presented by Midwest SOARRING Foundation. Harvest Pow Wow will be Sept. 24 from 11AM to 10PM and Sept. 25 from 11AM to 5PM. For more info, call 708.257.4300 or email soarring@aol.com. Admission is $12 per adult and $9 for senior (62+) and children (3-12). Advance tickets available atwww.harvestpowwow.com/tickets.html.
Oktoberfest
Enjoy live musical entertainment ranging from traditional German Oompah music to classic rock along with German beer and cuisine under a huge heated tent on September 30 from 5 to 10 p.m. and October 1 from 12 to 10 p.m. Family-friendly activities will take place on Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. Tickets in advance are $12 per adult and $8 for youth (4-12). Admission day of the event is $15 per adult and $10 per youth.
History comes to life at Naper Settlement, Chicagoland’s outdoor history museum, located at 523 S. Webster St. in Naperville. Visit www.napersettlement.museum or call (630) 420-6010 for tickets and info.
