Above / Dedicated on Sept. 2, 1981, the Civic Plaza along the Riverwalk is a popular gathering place along Jackson Avenue at Webster Street, just steps from the Free Speech Pavilion where live music on Saturday mornings is a welcomed experience for both musicians and audiences. (PN Photo)
“Turn off the TV… Throw away the papers…” and once again the Naperville Riverwalk Pickers were singing and strumming their story-telling music again near the Civic Plaza with the Dandelion Fountain. This Saturday they kicked off a morning of music with “Spanish Pipedream.”
Also known as the “Acoustic Pickers,” the group of talented musicians will strum their hum-along music, sometimes with accompaniment of a harmonica, from 9:30AM to 11AM Saturdays, weather permitting, in the Free Speech Pavilion located near the Civic Plaza with the Dandelion Fountain, Jackson at Webster streets in downtown Naperville.
For more than a decade, the group of local musicians usually starts arriving about 9AM to liven up the Riverwalk with toe-tappin’ sounds as long as the weather’s right. Folks who arrive downtown for breakfast or brunch often stop to listen along their way. With encouragement, the fun-loving Pickers have been known to stay past their designated quitting time.
In fact, PN recalls when Naperville resident and musician Russ Swanson reported the group had begun getting together in late spring 2012, treating the community to home-grown music purely for the love of it all morning long.
All these years later, different musicians are likely to join the informal group throughout the spring, summer and fall, so the mix of players could be a little different each week. Occasionally, an audience member will pull out a harmonica. Other musicians arrive with a guitar or banjo to join in. And most pickers are familiar with the words to the songs.
New musicians are welcome and recruited mostly by word of mouth from passersby pleased by the “Pickers'” special sound of music. Stories such as this one also aim to inspire interest from players who might not have picked up an instrument for some time. All pickers are welcome to join them, regardless of skill.
It’s become a tradition for the Naperville Riverwalk Pickers to return every spring, bringing their talents, accompanied by wit and whimsy, to the Riverwalk on Saturday mornings. Be sure to include one of the picker sessions in your plans this spring and summer.
Dating back to 1981, the Dandelion Fountain in the Civic Plaza has been a refreshing place at Jackson and Webster to begin enjoying the sights and sounds of the Riverwalk before venturing into the shops and restaurants throughout downtown Naperville.
One more thing…
The sparkling Dandelion Fountain again was turned on in time for Mother’s Day. Already, visitors have noticed the basin has been painted black instead of aqua marine, and some folks have wondered why.
While it may take a few visits to the popular gathering plaza to become accustomed to new look, the dark color was used for a variety of operational and safety reasons as well as to help communicate that the fountain is a fountain rather than a wading pool.
Already, some folks have tossed a few coins into the fountain, likely shining with good wishes for happy days of caring for the City’s natural treasure. Thanks to all. —PN
