It was supposed to be a one-time event.
In 2016, The Lantern threw a block party in front of the tavern to celebrate its 50th anniversary.
“The mayor was here and he had a great time,” said Teri Feldott, general manager of The Lantern. “And he enjoyed it so much that he proclaimed the third Sunday in August Old Naperville Day.”
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, Old Naperville Day returns to downtown Naperville for an old-fashioned block party with food, drinks and entertainment. The celebration runs 12-7 p.m. Aug. 21 along west Chicago Avenue between Washington and Main streets.
“I think everybody’s super excited to get sort of ‘back to normal.’ Because it is starting to finally feel back to normal after the last couple of years,” Feldott said.
The event helps raise funds and awareness for DuPagePads, which works to end homelessness in DuPage County.
Chad Pedigo, vice president of development for DuPagePads, said the event offers the chance for the community to come together for the day.
“And for DuPagePads it also allows us a platform to thank the community that supports us and the hundreds of volunteers from the Naperville and surrounding area who support our clients in their experience with homelessness and help them to end their homelessness,” he said.
Admission to Old Naperville Day is free, with food and beverages available for purchase. A grant from the city’s Special Events and Cultural Amenities Fund to helps cover city-related costs such as the street closure, Pedigo said.
“Without that funding support we’d probably have to change our model, but with that funding support we’re able to have it open and free to the public all day long,” he said.
This year’s block party will have more entertainment and more room.
“The stage, instead of just being at the end of Chicago Avenue with Main Street still running behind us, Main Street is actually closed now between Water and Jackson,” Feldott said. “So we have a little bit extra space.”
Musical entertainment will be provided by One More Time, The Wayouts and Starlight City. Food vendors include the Lantern, Cookie Dough Creations, Nando’s, Bev’s, Empire and Real Urban Barbecue.
This year will also see an expanded bags tournament after string interest at the 2019 block party.
“Last time we held the event we had a small bags tournament and we had a lot of folks say they wanted to play but they didn’t get the opportunity, so they’ve now doubled the size of it,” Pedigo said.
Those interested in playing can register online at thelantern.ticketspice.com/ondbags2022. Registration is $20 with proceeds going to DuPagePads. The organization will also hold a 50/50 raffle during the block party to raise funds.
A children’s area will have games and activities like Bozo Buckets and face painting and feature KidStrong, Midwest Fun Factory and Markers Studio.
“It’s just a bunch of people having a great time,” Feldott said of the afternoon.
Since the first Old Naperville Day in 2016, the event has continued to grow. This year, between 4,000 and 5,000 are expected, Feldott said.
“That first year we didn’t know what we were doing,” she said. “It was just a party. And now it’s become more organized and serious, and we get better every year.”
The block party began partnering with DuPagePads in 2019 — prior to that Operation Support the Troops benefited from the event, she said.
Pedigo said the 2019 Old Naperville Day “was definitely a successful fundraiser and friendraiser for us.
“(It) allows the organization the opportunity to let people know that homelessness is an such an important issue in our very affluent community right now and the severe lack of housing as being a barrier,” he said
As of press time there are 131 children and 300 individuals in shelter in the county, he said.
In the past DuPagePads provided overnight shelter at five different church locations in Naperville. During pandemic though, the shelter moved to one hotel in Naperville and two in Downers Grove.
“The hotel model was a game-changer for our clients allowing them to recover faster, to develop a housing plan with built in support being able to connect with the staff daily,” he said. “So we put together a fundraising campaign and purchased one of the hotels in Downers Grove, which is now our interim housing center. That was March of this year.
“The dignity and safety of a door and the opportunity to wake up on the same pillow each morning and not be concerned how to get to the next destination each night has significantly improved the lives of our clients and our ability to assist them to end their experience with homelessness,” he said.
The organization is still in the process of transforming the hotel into the housing center, he said.
“The funds that are raised during Old Naperville Day will go towards helping us continue the transition and provide direct resources for the clients who are there at this time,” Pedigo said.
Old Naperville Day Block Party
When: 12-7 p.m. Aug. 21
Where: West Chicago Avenue between Washington and Main streets, Naperville
Tickets: Free
Information: oldnapervilleday.com
Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
