Celebrate the Fourth of July weekend in downtown Naperville with music, kids’ activities and a patriotic march.
The third annual Naperville Salute, which honors and celebrates veterans and active military and their families, is from 3 to 10 p.m. June 30-July 3 at Rotary Hill and along the Riverwalk in Naperville.
“The first year was supposed to be in 2020 but obviously with COVID (restrictions), we weren’t able to have it so we partnered with the city to have fireworks at Frontier Park,” said Michele Clemen, event chairwoman with the Naperville Salute. “In 2021, we were able to have the event on Rotary Hill for the first time.”
Still, because of restrictions and uncertainty, they had a short runway to pull the event off, she said.
“It’s grown in what we’ve been able to offer, it’s grown in attendance and it’s grown in the opportunity that we’ve been able to give back to the greater Naperville community and the mission of the organization that puts it on.”
Naperville Salute benefits Naperville Response for Veterans, an organization that helps veterans and their families with critical home repairs, be it a quality-of-life repair or a life-safety repair. Veterans within a 20-mile radius of Naperville can be served.
The Naperville Salute will have food, family entertainment and live music, she said.
“We have a couple of up-and-coming country artists on Saturday,” she said. “We have J.D. Clayton (at 6 p.m.) and the Cadillac Three headlining. July 1 is all country music that day. We wanted to tap into that because nobody has really done that in this area. We did that last year and it was a great success. We’re getting some up-and-coming national acts to come to Naperville.”
June 30’s bands include This End Up, Soul 2 the Bone and Hello Weekend headlining. On July 2, bands include Convoy, Wild Daisy, The Gingers and Arra. On July 3, look for OMT, The Prissillas and Whiskey Romance performing.
Veterans and active military personnel attend for free. Mission BBQ will provide food in the veteran’s tent on July 1. Belgio’s Catering will also provide food. There will be two tents with beverages.
For families, there will be face-painting, a magician, craft stations and dancers from the Salt Creek Ballet performing.
“We also have some of the service recruiting agencies coming and they’ll have their displays set up, so I’m sure there will be some pullup challenge for kids or adults to participate in,” she said.
A Ruck March steps off at 10 a.m. July 2 from the Grand Pavilion behind the VFW and ends at Rotary Hill. It’s a little more than a 5K in distance, she said. Admission is $30 and including a patch, drink ticket and food ticket.
“It’s meant to build camaraderie and kind of experience what our active military men and women do on a regular basis when they’re sent out into the battlefield. They carry heavy packs and they walk together as a group,” she said.
“This is an opportunity for those who want to honor the military men and women and our veterans and taking this walk together. Many of them will be wearing weighted backpacks or weighted vests along the route.”
The Naperville Salute is a hometown Independence Day weekend event that seeks to “honor and celebrate military men and women who provide us with the opportunity to be free and be safe,” she said.
“It’s important that we continue to remember that and celebrate those people who have taken the oath to serve our country. It’s a good time and family-friendly. It’s a great way to celebrate the weekend and kick off the Fourth of July holiday.”
Naperville Salute
When: 3-10 p.m. June 30-July 3
Where: Rotary Hill, 440 Aurora Ave., Naperville
Tickets: $5-$15; active military and veterans free
Information: napervillesalute.org
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
