Originally Posted, May 6, 2025 / Considering the busy weekend ahead, Things to Do is posted a couple days early, mindful that National Small Business Week runs through May 10. What’s your favorite local small business? Celebrate the backbone of the community. Enjoy Mother’s Day. Plan a good weekend. —PN
Friday
Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise Drive-By Drop-off Diaper and Mom’s Essentials Drive / 8AM to 10AM / Donations will be accepted in front of Naperville Country Club, 25W570 Chicago Ave. Items needed for infants, toddlers and mothers include: Diapers (especially sizes 4,5,6, Pull-ups), Baby Wipes, Diaper creams and ointments as well as Feminine Hygiene Products. Thank you!
Annual Two-Day Plant Sale Hosted in the Garden of Marianne and Tom Kuhn / 8:30AM to 5PM / Once again the Kuhns will open their garden at 27 W 635 South Lane in Green Acres to friends, neighbors and all Napervillians. Find a variety of all locally-grown perennial plants suited to Naperville’s climate and soil conditions. Many perennials and ground covers will be available. Plant sale is Friday and Saturday. Questions? Contact Marianne at lissonart@yahoo.com. Happy Spring!
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.
Still need a great gift for Mother’s Day? / 10AM / Consider Downtown Naperville Gift Cards, accepted at more than 160 downtown shops, spas and restaurants. Purchasing Downtown Naperville Gift Cards is easy too. Purchase online (and enjoy free shipping) or purchase in person at any of these locations during business hours: Downtown Naperville Alliance (NEW LOCATION: 131 W. Jefferson, Suite 223); Pro Image Sports – 120 Water Street; Tinker – A Children’s Boutique – 227 S. Main; Karisma Boutique – 232 S. Washington; and Peace – 143 W. Jefferson.
Surprise Mom! Take her to a Pinot’s Palette Painting Party for Mother’s Day / Looking for a fun and memorable way to celebrate with Mom? Pinot’s Palette will provide a Mother’s Day paint-and-sip experience she’ll never forget! Whether you’re planning a mom-and-me day, a family outing or a “surprise,” plenty of creative space is available for the entire family. Paint, drink and create beautiful memories during 2-hour sessions. No art skills needed to fill a canvas with motherly love. Limited spots are still available all weekend, including on Mother’s Day, at 175 W. Jackson Avenue. Reserve a spot at www.pinotspalette.com/naperville/events.
Spaghetti Dinner at the VFW / 5-7PM / Naperville American Legion Post 43 is partnering up with Naperville North Veteran Club to serve spaghetti, salad and Italian bread for $15 per person. The dinner will be served at the Judd Kendall VFW, 908 W. Jackson Ave. All proceeds from this event will benefit Naperville North Veterans Club.
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
Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive / The National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association will partner with Loaves & Fishes Community Services during the 32nd Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. Each year, residents are encouraged to place healthy, unexpired, non-perishable items in bags by their mailboxes on Saturday, May 10, for collection by postal carriers and Loaves & Fishes volunteers. For more info, visit www.loaves-fishes.org/events/stamp-out-hunger.
Styrofoam Recycling Collection Event / 9AM – noon / West parking lot of Route 59 Train Station – 475 Fairway Dr. Naperville, IL 60563 / Bring clean, dry Styrofoam containers and packaging (no flexible foam or packing peanuts) to the west parking lot at Naperville’s Route 59 train station. Co-sponsored by the City of Naperville, the Naperville Noon Lions, Dart Container and the Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force.
AAUW Naperville Area Used Book & Media Collection Drive / 9AM – noon / Knox Presbyterian Church – 1105 Catalpa Ln. Naperville, IL 60540 / Drop off good condition fiction, non-fiction, hardcovers, paperbacks, children’s, newer textbooks, vintage & collectible, video games, CDs, DVDs, vinyl. (Please no: Time-Life, NatGeo sets, mags, Readers Digest, encyclopedias). Small & medium sturdy boxes needed too.
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.
Sunday – Mother’s Day
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!
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. When you have 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! / 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!
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!
Note also that this post may be updated throughout the weekend. Thanks for reading.
