Above / May Watts Park is blooming beautifully with perennial plants and many varieties of wildflowers. Fishing, duck and birdwatching as well as hunting for monarch caterpillars are popular there, too. And we must say that this singular iris was a reminder of a special friend.
June 1, 2022, through Labor Day Weekend / Naperville Noon Lions Annual Summer Raffle is now in progress. Purchase raffle tickets now, throughout the summer, and in time for the drawing on Tues., Sept. 6. In case you missed it, click here for PN story about the Naperville Noon Lions Annual Summer Raffle and what the fundraiser benefits. Thanks.
June 2, 2022 / Downtown Naperville Architecture Walking Tour is 5:30-6:30PM Thurs., June 2, $15/person | Register. Learn about the important and interesting architecture from the 1800s to today that makes downtown Naperville a beautiful place to live, work, and play. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and covers about two miles. Pre-registration is required.
Naper Settlement, with its entrance at Webster and Aurora, is a nationally accredited, award-winning outdoor living history museum set on 13 magnificent acres in the heart of Naperville. Located 30 miles from Chicago, the museum is home to 31 historical structures dating back as early as the 1830s. Featuring exhibits, special events, educational programming and more, Naper Settlement is where history comes alive and the community comes to connect.
For more information, visit www.napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010. ***Other Naper Settlement events are in this listing.
June 3-4, 2022 / Naperville Soul Fest / Naperville Soul Fest, produced by 21 Souls Entertainment, is set for June 3-4. Hours will be 5 to 10PM Fri., June 3, and Noon to 10PM on Sat., June 4. SoulFest is a welcoming celebration of African American and Caribbean Descendant’s within the West Suburbs of Chicago and Surrounding Communities. Dozens of vendors set up tents with merchandise and collectibles. For questions, tickets and more event information, visit 21 Souls Event at www.napervillesoulfest.com.
Note: On June 3 & 4, Naper Settlement’s exhibits and historic buildings will be closed. Guests are invited to visit the Naperville Soul Festival rental event on the grounds. Naper Settlement will resume normal operations on Sun., June 5.
June 4, 2022 / Naperville Freemasons Blood Drive / Naperville Freemasons are partnering with Versiti Blood Center to host a blood drive from 10AM to 4PM Sat., June 4, at the Naperville Masonic Temple, 34 W. Jefferson Ave. The need is higher during the summer. In fact, every day Versiti needs 600 donors to meet the demands of hospitals. Click here to schedule an appointment in advance.
June 4, 2022 / Big Blue Family Fun Day is set for 12PM to 4PM Sat., June 4, to celebrate the opening of Big Blue Swim School at 1265 South Naper Boulevard, just off 75th Street. Get a first look at our new state-of-the-art swim school while enjoying live entertainment, giveaways, and a food truck! Take tours, and enjoy activities inside and out. This event is FREE and open to the public. Learn more about Big Blue Naperville and its limited time pre-opening deal at bigblueswimschool.com.
June 5, 2022 / RJM Strategy Group Naperville Real World Self-Defense Workshop / Real Word Self-Defense Workshop is planned from 11:30AM to 1:30PM Sun., June 5. Cost to attend the instructional workshop is $30 for students and $40 for adults. Event check-in begins at 10:45AM. All attendees will need to sign a waiver prior to participating in the training. RJM Strategy Group, a local leader in law enforcement, safety and security for business owners and residents, is hosting the workshop and training session to provide adults with self-defense knowledge and skills to protect themselves in domestic or street violence situations. Training is designed for adults of all ages with little to no self-defense knowledge or experience.
Training will be held outdoors (weather permitting) on the campus of North Central College between Merner Fieldhouse and the Res/Rec Center. In the event of inclement weather, training will move to Merner’s 2nd floor wrestling room (450 S. Brainard St.)
June 5, 2022 / Kite Fly Festival at Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive. 10AM to 4PM Sun., June 5 / The Naperville Park District’s 15th annual Kite Fly, presented by The Branch-Naperville Moms and co-hosted by KidsMatter provides fun for all ages and a rare opportunity to view gigantic kites flown by kite enthusiasts from Chicago Kite. KidsMatter also will be offering games that are played around the world such as ring toss, a chopstick challenge, Jin Mao Jian kicking and more. Pack a picnic lunch or purchase food from a variety of food trucks. FREE. Participants also can practice flying their own kites!
June 5, 2022 / Sundae Sunday 1-4PM Sunday, June 5, Included in general admission. Join Naper Settlement for an ice cream treat that is sure to sweeten your Sunday! Ice cream is first come, first served while supplies last.
June 6-10, 2022 / Camp Noah is a FREE and FUN therapeutic DAY camp for children (Gr.1-6) who were impacted by the tornados on June 20, 2021, in Woodridge, Naperville & nearby areas. Camp is set for 9AM to 3PM Mon., June 6, through Fri., June 10. For more info, visit www.campnoah.org.
June 6, 2022 / KidsMatter School’s Out Fundraiser / The annual celebration of the end of school and the start of summer is set to run from 11AM to 11PM Mon., June 6, at Lou Malnati’s in downtown Naperville. Supporters are encouraged to dine-in, carry out, deliver, or cater a lunch or dinner for co-workers, with a portion of proceeds benefiting KidsMatter. Families and friends who choose to dine-in at the downtown Naperville location also will experience an array of musical acts from local area schools.
June 7, 2022 / WSI Quiz Night at Quigley’s is 7PM Tues., June 7. Teams of up to 8 are welcome to test their collective knowledge. Trivia play is free of charge. Quigley’s Irish Pub is located at 43 E. Jefferson Ave. (Also, come with your own questions about the 2022 Naperville Irish Fest slated for Aug. 5 & 6 at Frontier Park! For more info, visit www.wsirish.org.)
June 8, 2022 / Playscape Readers: Flowers and Bees at Naper Settlement, 1-1:30PM Wed., June 8, Included in general admission. Playscape Readers is a story time for young children that follows seasonal themes with a focus on historical themes and pre-reading skills. June’s theme is flowers and bees.
June 8, 2022 / Downtown Naperville Streetscape is taking shape. And soon painted sculptures shaped like small pickup trucks will be Cruisin’ into Summer to help showcase wit and artistic talent from one street corner to the next. Shops, banks, restaurants and treat shops are open, so plan to visit to check out all the changes soon.
June 9, 2022 / Town and Gown Walking Tour 5:30-6:30PM Thursday, June 9, $15/person | Register here. Explore the east side of downtown Naperville and learn about the ways the community developed along with North Central College. The tour lasts approximately 60 minutes and covers about two miles. Pre-registration is required.***
June 9, 2022 / Naperville Municipal Band Thursday Summer Concert Series begins at 7:30PM Thurs., June 9, on stage at the Community Concert Center in Central Park. Pack a picnic or pick up dinner to go from a downtown eatery, then plan to enjoy treats at the Bake Sale at the Gazebo. This first week’s Bake Sale will benefit nonprofit organization, Lizzy’s Fund. Central Park is located between East Jefferson and East Benton in downtown Naperville. NMB Summer Concerts are slated for every Thursday evening through Aug. 11. FREE.
June 11, 2022 / The Jazz Soul of Ray Charles, 8PM Sat., June 11 / Join Better Together at 8PM Sat., June 11, for their latest show, The Jazz Soul of Ray Charles—a night of music guaranteed to move your soul and your feet! Cocktail hour begins at 6PM, presented at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Avenue, to benefit the Academy of the Arts. Tickets: $100.
June 12, 2022 / Hometown Picnic at Naper Settlement, 1-4PM Sun., June 12 Included in general admission. Hometown Picnic features summertime traditions including games, contests and races, a vintage baseball game, and an apple pie baking competition. Visitors are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and a picnic to enjoy the fast-paced action of bare-knuckle baseball, based on the original rules from 1858, when the Lemont Quarrymen take on the McLean County Prairie Chickens at 1:30PM. Calling all apple pie bakers! Bakers are needed for the apple pie baking competition that features bakers from throughout the area. To enter the apple pie baking competition, contact Jackie Maronic at (630) 420-6015 or email maronicj@naperville.il.us.
Stay tuned! June is busting out all over and we aim to spotlight many special activities during the month named for the Roman goddess Juno, patron of marriage and women. Events and celebrations provide opportunities for friends, family and communities to prepare for summer’s arrival on June 21.
Meanwhile, be mindful of Immigrant Heritage Month, Flag Day, Pride Month, YMCA Founders Day, Juneteenth and Father’s Day as well as other events that might be featured on PN’s Event Calendar. Event planners are welcome to add events and post images there, too.
One more thought: Since June offers the most hours of daylight of any month of the year, enjoy evening walks. Go fishing. Do something different. Turn porch lights on at dusk.
Looking ahead to Father’s Day… Celebrate Dad by dining locally!
Father’s Day is Sun., June 19, 2022. Naperville offers restaurants, treat shops and bakeries to whet every appetite. For more information, visit www.dinenaperville.com. Thanks for supporting local enterprise.
Post last updated, June 4, 2022
