Above / North Central College Commencement is set to begin at noon Sun., May 7, in the Residence Hall/Recreation Center, 440 S. Brainard St. Note the doors open at 10:30AM and the processional will begin at 11:40AM. (PN File Photo 2022)
Friday
Weed Ladies Spring Sale / 10AM to 3:30PM at Naper Settlement – 523 S. Webster St. Naperville, IL 60540 / The Weed Ladies Spring Sale will be held from 10AM to 3:30PM on May 3 through May 5 at Naper Settlement’s Daniels House. Purchase creative seasonal floral arrangements just in time for Mother’s Day. Each one-of-a-kind silk or dried floral creation has been designed by the Weed Ladies of the Naperville Heritage Society volunteer group. Proceeds benefit the Naperville Heritage Society. Admission to the sale is free. Enter the Pre-Emption House Visitor Center and inform the Guest Services Team that you are attending the sale.
Live Music at Quigley’s Irish Pub / 8:30PM at Quigley’s Irish Pub – 43 E. Jefferson Ave. Naperville, IL 60540 / Mix Tape Junkies to perform at 8:30PM. And Quigley’s Irish Pub features live music Thursdays thru Saturdays.
Saturday
Naperville offers nearly 300 dining choices every day / From Diehl Road north to 111th Street south, Dine Naperville features eateries to whet every appetite and suit every budget. Reserve a table for Mother in the historic mansion on Mother’s Day, May 14, at Meson Sabika.
Open House Saturdays at HarborChase Naperville / 10AM to 2PM / Tour the senior living facility on Naperville’s north side. Enjoy delicious refreshments including mimosas and beverages while perusing on-site eateries and attractive amenities. HarborChase Naperville is located at 1619 N. Mill Street. Unable to visit this week? Consider next Saturday. For information, call (630) 349-2783.
2023 Fundraiser to benefit Honor Flight Chicago / 11AM to 3PM (Best to arrive before 2PM) / New location! This year’s event with special tribute to Vietnam Era Veterans will be held at the DuPage County Fairgrounds, 2015 Manchester Road in Wheaton. $45 Adults / $20 Child.
Go Fish! Discover the wonder and patience that come with angling from local fishing piers. Check out Whalon Lake located just off Royce Road in south Naperville where the forest preserve offers many activities such as fishing, kayaking, walking, biking and enjoying nature. Click here to a popular link of local fishing spots such as in the Riverwalk Quarry.
‘Boundless’ with Chicago Sinfonietta Orchestra / 8PM at Wentz Concert Hall – 171 E. Chicago Ave. Naperville, IL 60540 / Join Chicago Sinfonietta orchestra for their season finale. Kicking off the program is a piece by Molly Joyce, a fierce disability rights advocate. Called one of the “most versatile, prolific and intriguing composers working under the vast new-music dome” by The Washington Post, her work references everything from high-school drumlines to an evocative quality of memory. Anna Clyne, who served as a former composer-in-residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, wrote the moving new cello concerto, “Dance.” The five-movement work was inspired by the poems of the Persian poet Rumi, and the emotional depth of this powerful new work has been compared to the masterpiece, “Elgars’s Cello Concerto.” Finally, closing the season is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, one of Maestra Mei-Ann Chen’s personal favorites. Tickets are $10 with code PWYC10MAY at checkout. Visit chicagosinfonietta.org/boundless.
Sunday
Looking for more things to do in the community today, tomorrow or next week? / Around the clock, 24-7, visit PN’s Community Events Calendar. Event planners also are welcome to post opportunities for Naperville enjoyment. When submitting, include accurate and the “most-complete” information pertaining to the event. Not all submissions will be published and are subject to verification. Please allow up to seven business days for events to be published and populate within this website. It’s best to use a desktop or laptop computer when submitting events. Thanks for reading. And, of course, the print edition chock full May events is available now, too, at a supermarket near you.
Walk MS Naperville 2023 / 8AM at Riverwalk Grand Pavilion – 912 Honorary Sindt Court Naperville, IL 60540 / Donations / Walk MS brings together passionate people for a powerful purpose: to end MS forever. Feel the support that can only come from a community whose steps fuel breakthroughs, solutions and a cure. mssociety.donordrive.com.
North Central College Commencement / Noon / North Central College will celebrate its graduating Class of 2023 with a Commencement ceremony at noon on Sun., May 7, in Residence Hall/Recreation Center, 440 S. Brainard St. in Naperville. The ceremony also will be livestreamed for online viewing at northcentralcollege.edu/commencement.
North Central College’s Class of 2023 includes 579 graduates who will be receiving their bachelor’s degrees, and 122 graduates who will be receiving their master’s degrees. Notable groups of graduates include:
- 258 first-generation college graduates
- 236 are graduates who came in as transfer students
- 271 will graduate with honors
- 13 international students representing seven different countries (Burundi, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway, South Korea, and Spain)
- Three U.S. military veterans, one ROTC cadet, and one military spouse
Update / During the awards ceremony, Trustee Dr. Kathy Birkett received the 2023 Gale D. Swing Meritorious Service Award for her part in leadership and service during the recent search for a new North Central College president.
North Central College Alma Mater
North Central is the school we love,
To her we sing this praise,
And from the East and from the West,
You hear the voices raise…
Hail! Hail! North Central Hail!
Our Alma Mater True,
We’ll always, always, loyal be,
To you, to you, to you.
Your sons and daughters come from far,
To find a home with you,
To get the wisdom you impart,
And sing this song for you…
Hail! Hail! North Central Hail!
Our Alma Mater true,
We’ll always, always, loyal be,
To you, to you, to you.
Ribbon Cutting Open House for High School Way-Finding Art Murals in Van Buren Parking Deck / Beginning at 2PM Sun., May 7, the talents of art students at Naperville’s five area high schools will officially be presented in the Van Buren Parking Deck, 50 S. Main Street. The Open House, hosted by Century Walk Corporation and KidsMatter, will begin at 2PM in the lobby of the parking garage entrance off Main Street between Van Buren and Benton avenues, and will include an official ribbon cutting at 2:30PM with Mayor Scott Wehrli. Public is welcome to the free event when entrances to all five levels of the parking deck will be open to view the colorful murals.
Update, 3PM Sun., May 7 / Hosted by Century Walk Corporation, the ribbon cutting attracted high school artists, KidsMatter board members, representatives from School District 204 and City Council members while other members of the community watched on this sunny afternoon with temperatures in the high 80s.
