Thank you to Geneva Family Dental for sponsoring this guide, which aims to help you make the most of August 2015. Dr. Melissa Jentz-Cote and her team at Geneva Family Dental are happy to provide dental care to the whole family: Adults, adolescents and children. The practice is located on Williamsburg in Geneva, near Geneva Commons. In addition to Dr. Jentz-Cote raising her own family in Geneva, the GFD team goes into the community to teach grade schoolers about dentistry, they support the Geneva Girls Softball League, the Tri City Chargers, Geneva Boys Basketball, and donate water bottles to all the summer athletes at Geneva High School. Learn more about Geneva Family Dental on their website and Facebook page.
The kids go back to school in a few weeks, but there is still plenty of summer fun to enjoy. If you need a little help planning some special outings to make the most of this month, here’s the August Edition of the Go West Guide to Summer Fun! Many of these events are free, none require advance registration and while some are tied to their specific date, others are part of a series or are something you could do any day of the week. I tried to make that clear, but of course follow the links for more information. Plus, if you don’t like the suggestion for the day, check out the Go West Calendar – you’ll usually find several more choices there! Happy August!
Saturday, Aug. 1: The Kendall County Fair continues through Sunday in Yorkville, and the Lake County Fair continues through Sunday in Grayslake.
Sunday, Aug. 2: The Morton Arboretum is holding its 2nd annual Destination Asia cultural festival on Aug. 1 and Aug. 2. Admission is free with paid admission or membership and will include live music and performances, games and activities, botanical activities, and more. For a full schedule of events, click here.
Monday, Aug. 3: Did your family catch “Paddington” when it was first in theaters? (It was really good!) If not, here’s your chance: It’s being shown today through Friday at 10 a.m. in Batavia and Oswego as part of Goodrich Quality Theatre’s $1 summer movie series. Tickets are, yep, just $1.
Tuesday, Aug. 4: More than 16,000 communities will be celebrating National Night Out, America’s Night Out Against Crime. Held the first Tuesday in August, the event is designed to boost community involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. The Go West Calendar lists a couple of “National Night Out” events in Geneva, South Elgin has one featuring a free concert with Macaroni Soup, and 17 Aurora neighborhoods are planning events! Also tonight, you can catch “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” in Elgin’s Festival Park for free. Pre-show activities start at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5: This is the last of the “Wild Wednesdays” at Cantigny Park this summer, a hands-on, nature exploration program geared at children ages 3 through 10. Stop by anytime between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The program is free, but the $5 parking fee applies. Also, if you like live music, you can catch outdoor concerts for free tonight in Batavia, Warrenville and Oakbrook.
Thursday, Aug. 6: Really, there is too much to pick from tonight! Kline Creek Farm invites your family to an “Evening in the Country” — pack a picnic dinner and enjoy the grounds for free. Morton Arboretum has its “Thursday Family Nights” with reduced admission prices and children’s activities. There’s a classic car show at the Kane County Courthouse in downtown Geneva. You can hear free outdoor music in St. Charles, Glen Ellyn or Aurora, or view “101 Dalmations” in Geneva’s Frank Burgess Park at dusk. Wow! That is quite an evening!
Friday, Aug. 7: The 18th Annual Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show kicks off with a 13-mile lights and sirens procession on the evening of Friday, Aug. 7, winding through North Aurora and Montgomery before arriving at its new location, the Aurora Regional Fire Museum in downtown Aurora. On Aug. 8, the show will take place on the grounds of the fire museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature displays of emergency vehicles, rescue demonstrations and children’s activities. This is a free, family-friendly event, and is the Midwest’s largest emergency vehicle show. Find details on the show’s website and also its Facebook page.
Saturday, Aug. 8: In addition to the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show (see the Aug. 7 entry), the St. Charles Park District will be hosting its annual “Big Truck Show” at James O. Breen Community Park from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Aug. 8.arbage trucks, front-end loaders, tractors, police squad cards and fire rucks will be among the many workhorses on display. This is a free event.
Sunday, Aug. 9: The Glen Ellyn Park District is offering “Canoes and Picnics” at Lake Foxcroft Park today. Pack a picnic, bring your family and enjoy a nice walk around the lake, and a canoe ride to finish off the day. The Glen Ellyn Park District will provide the canoes, paddles, oars and life jackets. No grilling allowed. Fee is $5 for 20 minutes.
Monday, Aug. 10: There are just a few more chances this summer for the 1890s-themed children’s story hour at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. Stories get underway at 10 a.m. This is a free event. (Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in this beautiful spot.) Or maybe you just want to try out a new ice cream spot.
Tuesday, Aug. 11: For cheap movies this week, you can choose between “The LEGO Movie” at Goodrich Quality Theaters at 10 a.m. in Oswego and Batavia for $1 each, or “Puss in Boots” at Studio Movie Grill at 11 a.m. in Wheaton for $3 each.
Wednesday, Aug. 12: Today might be a good day to visit Naper Settlement. There are storytimes scheduled at the new Playscape (it features a splash pad, so bring a towel or change of clothes.) And if you are a member of the DuPage Children’s Museum, you get in free to Naper Settlement until DCM reopens.
Thursday, Aug. 13: Head to Town Square Wheaton at 11 a.m. for a free WTTW Kids Readers Are Leaders performance, featuring Miss Lori from Miss Lori’s CAMPUS. Shows will include singing, fun activities and story readings. Also, there will be a special appearance by Clifford. Or your family could choose to participate in the free “Go Fish Challenge” at the Little White School Museum in Oswego in the evening. Meanwhile, Riverfest Express, the community festival in South Elgin, gets underway today and runs through Aug. 16, when fireworks will wrap up the celebration.
Friday, Aug. 14: Cantigny Park is showing the live action movie “Enchanted” at about 8:30 p.m. Movie is free, but the $2 parking fee applies. Alternately, you can see the acoustic band Patchouli perform at Geneva’s Peaceful Parlour or the Magic of Motown at the MAC on the College of DuPage campus in Glen Ellyn.
Saturday, Aug. 15: If your family members love the Chicago Bears, you might want to head down to Olivet Nazarene in Bourbonnais to catch the last couple days of training camp. Today is Kids Day; Sunday, August 16 is Fan Appreciation Day. Details here.
Sunday, Aug. 16: The children’s band Super Stolie performs at noon at Cantigny Park, wrapping up the Kids’ Concerts series for the summer. The concert is free, but the $5 parking fee applies.Bring your lawn chairs or blankets. These performance are held rain or shine, except in extreme weather.
Monday, Aug. 17: Today could be a great day to visit Blackberry Farm in Aurora. Pack a picnic to enjoy on the grounds, or buy concessions there. Make sure to spend time in the relatively new Adventure Playground.
Tuesday, Aug. 18: This week marks the first week of school for most suburban public schools. But if you still have little ones at home, checking out a new splash park or sprayground is rarely a bad idea in August!
Wednesday, Aug. 19: If your family is up for a true adventure, the Illinois State Fair in Springfield is running through Sunday. Closer to home, in the evening you can see Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band perform at the Warrenville Public Library, watch “Guardians of the Galaxy” outdoors at Oak Brook Center, or “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” at Lake Foxcroft Park in Glen Ellyn.
Thursday, Aug. 20: Check out the new Nature Connects LEGO exhibit during a “Thursday Family Night” at Morton Arboretum from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Children’s musician Zag Morgan will perform, and admission is only $5 per person to the arboretum after 4:30 p.m. The weekly Classic Car Show also takes place in downtown Geneva around the courthouse lawn.
Friday, Aug. 21: The 86th annual Elburn Days gets underway today and runs through Aug. 23. It’s an important fundraiser for the Elburn Lions Club and features a carnival, parade, tractor pulls and more. Cantigny Park will show “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” in the evening, with admission free and parking just $2 per car.
Saturday, Aug. 22: Today is the day for Bugfest, the popular annual event organized by the Fox Valley Park District to celebrate our our 6-legged friends. Start your adventure at Lippold Park with fun bug games and insect encounters. Then travel the stroller-friendly Fox River Trail or explore the wood-chipped hiking trails to Red Oak Nature Center and bug-related activities. This event is free and runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Refreshments and products are available for purchase. Alternately, if you’re not afraid of your kids getting a lot dirty, the Oswegoland Park District offers Puddle Jumpers Morning and Pig Pen Afternoon.
Sunday, Aug. 23: Did you know you can ride a paddlewheel riverboat on the Fox River? Yep – they cruise the river north of St. Charles, leaving from Pottawatomie Park. Check this flyer for exact information on the times, but the boats run daily in the summer and on weekends in September and October. Prices are $7.50 for adults, $6 for kids, with children 2 and under free. Definitely a relaxing way to spend part of an afternoon! Alternately, catch a Sunday afternoon concert at Cantigny Park — The Special Concensus band will play bluegrass at 3 p.m. Concert is free, parking is $5.
Monday, Aug. 24: The Geneva Public Library will offer a “Discovery Playtime” for children ages 2 through 5 with their caregivers on Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, the new Hamill Family Wild Encounters exhibit at the Brookfield Zoo earned rave reviews from our contributor.
Tuesday, Aug. 25: If today turns out to be too hot or too rainy for outdoor play, you have a couple of easy indoor options: The Treehouse Play Area in West Chicago or the Indoor Playhouse at the Vaughan Athletic Center in Aurora. But if today is nice weather, we’ve featured lots of new “Great Parks!” on Go West this summer – perhaps try out a new one!
Wednesday, Aug. 26: Today might be a good day to visit the Butterfly House at Geneva’s Peck Farm Park Interpretative Center. The Butterfly House is open on Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. The suggested donation is $2 per person or $5 per family. Make sure to plan time to climb the farm’s silo for some fun views and to play at the new Hawk Hollow Nature Playground. There are plenty of shady places for a picnic.
Thursday, Aug. 27: In the “History Alive” program at Cantigny Park, children ages 6 to 12 are invited to learn about a different military topic each week. Dress in a soldier’s uniform, interact with artifacts and participate in games and crafts from the day’s designated time period. This event, held on Thursdays this summer in the First Division Museum, will have its last session Aug. 27. It is free, but the $5 parking fee applies.
Friday, Aug. 28: The Hometown Days Festival gets underway today in Yorkville, running through Aug. 31. If you’re a member of the DuPage Children’s Museum, you have less than three more weeks to take advantage of special offers that other museums created while DCM was closed. (It reopens on Sept. 19!)
Saturday, Aug. 29: Perhaps there is time to fit in one more visit to a favorite public pool? Call to double check the exact hours, but Geneva’s Sunset Pool, Aurora’s Phillips Park Aquatic Park, Turtle Splash Water Park in West Chicago and St. Charles’ Otter Cove Aquatic Park are still open through Labor Day, at least on weekends. Also, did you know the Aurora Farmers Market is the oldest in Illinois? It will be held every Saturday through Oct. 18 at the Aurora Transportation Center from 8 a.m. to noon.
Sunday, Aug. 30: If you haven’t seen the Kane County Cougars play yet this year, this is one your last chances during the regular season. The Cougars will play Beloit today at 4 p.m. and do have several more home games scheduled through Sept. 7.
Monday, Aug. 31: This is the last session this summer for the 1890s-themed children’s story hour at Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago. Stories get underway at 10 a.m. This is a free event. (Pack a picnic and enjoy lunch in this beautiful spot.)
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