Originally Posted April 30, 2025 / Updated May 4, 2025 (Noting Kentucky Derby victor Sovereignty.)
Friday
Brats at Kreger’s / 10AM to 3PM Fridays and Saturdays at Kreger’s Brat and Sausage Haus – 606 N. Ellsworth Naperville, IL 60563 / Stop by for lunch, conversation and camaraderie. While Bob grills, let Bill know that you know his wurst is the best, especially for weekend grilling. Brats are back. Stop by and find out what Bill’s been up to! www.kregersbrats.com.
Serendipity Resale Shop Benefits Little Friends, Inc. / 10AM-5PM / Volunteers give time to benefit Little Friends, recognized as a leading service provider for children, adults and families challenged by autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities. The retail resale shop accepts donations of clean, quality clothing (especially winter wear most of the time), household items, bedding and jewelry when the shop is open 10AM to 5PM Monday thru Saturday. Donors and shoppers will find convenient storefront parking at Serendipity Resale Shop, located at 461 S. Route 59 in Aurora.
Weed Ladies Spring Sale at Naper Settlement / 10AM-3:30PM / The Weed Ladies Spring Sale features creative seasonal floral arrangements for sale. Each one-of-a-kind silk or dried floral creation has been designed by the Weed Ladies of the Naperville Heritage Society volunteer group. Admission to the Weed Ladies Spring Sale is FREE. Please enter through main entrance at the Birck Family Innovation Gateway along Webster Street. Also 1-4PM Sun., May 4.
Enjoy Every Day at Quigley’s Irish Pub / 11AM – 2AM / Quigley’s Irish Pub is located at 43 E. Jefferson Ave. in downtown Naperville. / Quigley’s Irish Pub features live music Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The pub also offers a variety of spaces for all types of special events and fundraisers. Meanwhile, stop by for honest pub fare and an Irish Coffee or enjoy a cold pint in the warm, friendly pub EDAQ, Every Day at Quigley’s.
Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at The Matrix Club / 4PM / Dinner 4PM – 12AM Fri., May 2, and Brunch 10:30AM – 2:30PM Sun., May 4 / Enjoy live music, dancing, craft cocktails and global cuisine in the Matrix Room and Meg’s Lounge. Choose from new Spring Dinner menu and Lounge menu prepared by Chef Alonso Beckford of “Chopped” fame! Live band from 7PM to 9:30PM. No Cover Charge. The Matrix Club is located at 808 S. Route 59. For reservations, call (630) 869-9100.
Brightside Theatre presents ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ / 7:30PM at Theatre at Meiley-Swallow Hall – 31 S. Ellsworth Street , Naperville, IL 60540 / $35-40 / Join Brightside Theatre on a magical journey where love potions, mischievous fairies, and star-crossed lovers collide in a whirlwind of hilarity and romance in William Shakespeare’s timeless comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. From the antics of four young lovers, to Bottom and his bumbling actors, to the ethereal beauty of Titania and Oberon’s fairy kingdom, and a mischievous sprite name Puck, let your imagination run wild. So, join them for a night of laughter, love, and magic as journey into the heart of Shakespeare’s most enchanting comedy. Tickets at brightsidetheatre.com/dream. Additional performances at 7:30PM Saturday and 2PM Sunday.
Saturday
NEXT CAFE / 7AM / Featured among many breakfast/lunch eateries in Naperville, NEXT Cafe recently marked its first year at 4003 Plainfield-Naperville Road, south of 95th St. The family-owned cafe, open daily from 7AM to 3PM, serves a variety of breakfast and lunch dishes with locally-sourced ingredients. Discover another good place for weekend brunch with breakfast cocktails and another good reason to Dine Naperville. dinenaperville.com/restaurant/NextCafe. Lots of convenient parking right out front, too.
Community Fitness Competition / 10AM / Members of VFW Post 3873 will host the fourth year of a fitness competition involving Veterans and the public at the Yellow Box Community Theater, located at 1635 Emerson Lane. This event is part of the National VFW Day of Service that includes 1,500 events around the country, triple the number held last year, organizers said. For more information about the VFW Day of Service, visit todaysvfw.org/vfw-day-of-service-media-room/.
Asian Heritage Fest / noon to 5PM at Mall of India – 776 Rt. 59 Naperville, IL 60540 / This free event is being organized to celebrate the various Asian American communities who bring their vibrant and varied heritage and enrich the city of Naperville and the entire region. The attendees to this event will be treated to dance performances, explore visual arts, learn about the musical traditions, fashion show, get a glimpse into the languages, and sample a variety of authentic culinary delights (complementary) from the diverse regions of Asia. The event is designed to appeal to all ages and offers opportunities to the attendees to go back with not just memories but small mementoes of this day.
Sip, Shop, and Celebrate Mom at Naperville’s Mother’s Day Market / Noon / Streetz Artz Alliance is proud to bring back its much-loved Mother’s Day Market to Noon Whistle Brewing from 12PM to 5PM. Held at 1748 W. Jefferson Ave. This family-friendly, free-to-attend market features 28 carefully curated artists and vendors—just in time to find the perfect gift for the mothers in your life. Shop with Heart: Mother’s Day Market Blends Art, Giving and Community.
Naperville Food Truck Festival / noon to 7PM at Naper Settlement – 523 S Webster St.
Naperville, IL 60540 / $10/pp, kids 10 & under free / Calling all Foodies! We’re returning to the Naper Settlement – in the heart of downtown Naperville, to bring you the 2025 Naperville Food Truck Festival. Featuring 20+ of the area’s best food trucks, live music, a Mega bubble Show, local vendor village featuring face painters, balloon artist & kids tattoo artist plus don’t forget to visit our Cinco de Mayo beer garden. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Community Access Naperville and their mission to empower people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to work in, contribute to, and enjoy their community. This is a family friendly event with food and entertainment for kids plus everyone can enjoy the expansive Naper Settlement historical grounds. nftf.eventbrite.com.
Derby Party for Hesed House / 3-7PM / The annual benefit and auction to help Hesed House end homelessness is set for White Eagle Club, featuring a hat contest and the 151st run of the 2-minute horse race in Kentucky style and tradition. Find info here. UPDATE! “All the way to the wire,” Junior Alvarado takes Sovereighnty (7-1) to the finish on the sloppy track to outpace favored Journalism (3-1). (FYI: Though we’ve never placed bets at the OTB, we heard from folks who went to the Hawthorne OTB in N. Aurora. Potential betters were told that no off-track betting on the Kentucky Derby because of a dispute between Hawthorne Park and Churchill Downs.)
Sunday
Annual MS Walk – Circles of Support / 9:30AM / Registration: 9:30AM. Ceremony Starts: 11:15AM. Walk Kickoff: 11:30AM. With a choice of a 1-mile or 3-mile route, organizers expect more than 1,000 participants to attend the festivities set up along the Riverwalk near the Grand Pavilion, located at 912 Honorary Sindt Memorial Court, just off Jackson Avenue.
Reserve a Table at Mesón Sabika for any day / 11:30AM to 9PM / Find a choice in dining rooms and private spaces at Mesón Sabika to sample Spanish tapas and delicious sangria for lunch and dinner every day. Located just west of downtown Naperville at 1025 Aurora Avenue, Mesón Sabika has been serving the community since 1990. Built in 1847, the historic mansion with eight air-conditioned dining rooms is set in a beautifully landscaped four-acre estate, providing a welcoming sight with plenty of parking for lunch, dinner, special events, benefits, weddings, meetings and family gatherings throughout the year. Gift Certificates are always available. Remember Mother’s Day is May 11!
North Central College Commencement Ceremony / 12PM / Residence Hall/Recreation Center, located at 440 S. Brainard. Doors Open for Guest Seating: 10:30AM | Residence Hall/Recreation Center. Graduate Line Up: 11AM at Merner Field House. Congratulations to all graduates!
Naperville City Council Swearing-In Ceremony / 2:30PM / Naperville City Council will seat recently elected members Benjamin White*, Ian Holzhauer*, Mary Gibson and Ashfaq Syed to serve four-year terms. Council Chambers will open at 2PM in advance of proceedings. *Incumbents. Outgoing Council members Jennifer Bruzan Taylor and Paul Leong received proclamation tributes during the City Council meeting on May 15. The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street.
Century Walk Tours Every Day / Around the Clock – Daylight / The recently published 88-page Naperville Century Walk Public Art Guide to more than 50 locations featuring local stories with public art by renowned artists is now in its second printing. Soon free copies again will be available at the Naperville Art League Gallery, Naper Settlement and Hotel Indigo. Pick up a colorful copy. Keep it handy in a drawer. Then from time to time, take a self-guided free-winding tour throughout downtown any day— winter, spring, summer or fall!
Discover choices to whet every appetite every day! / Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch & Dinner / Featuring approximately 400 eateries, Naperville serves up tastes to please all ages and budgets in between shopping, bowling, pickleball, concerts and all the activities that keep families and friends busy. In fact, consider that folks can even dine out at a Naperville eatery every day of the year without eating at the same place twice! Bon Appetit!
Keep in mind that sidewalks and the Naperville Riverwalk are for pedestrians. Throughout the USA and Canada, folks know “Walk Your Wheels”!
Every day… Dine Naperville!
Did you know? Downtown Naperville features plenty of other things to do every month. Kindly note ’tis always the season to use and/or purchase Downtown Naperville Gift Cards for many things happening as the school year ends with graduations and commencement. Take a stroll to discover all that’s new and coming soon to whet every appetite for shopping and dining.
Also if time permits while visiting downtown Naperville to shop and dine, the Riverwalk welcomes folks to the city’s natural treasure where can-do spirit is on display from the Jefferson Avenue Bridge to the Hillside Road Bridge, all along the path of serpentine-shaped bricks. Note restoration projects are now in progress that might require a slight detour near the Grand Pavilion and the Eagle Street Bridge.
And what’s more, the Summer Sculptures and the Riverwalk Duck Race are returning with tales to tell! Find everything you need to know about taking a quack to participate in this year’s splash of special events on the downtown Naperville website under, of all things, “events.”
Know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze…
Then… Visit local shopping destinations N.E.W.S. and all along Ogden Avenue as it winds through town, showcasing car dealerships and other service centers, here and there.
Every day… Visit Naperville!
“Peace begins with a smile… Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” —Mother Theresa
Note also that this post may be updated throughout the weekend. Thanks for reading.
