More fireworks, other changes, for North Aurora Days

The North Aurora Days three-day festival returns Friday, with a few changes from years past.

While there will still be a lights-and-sirens emergency-vehicle parade Friday night, there won't be a vehicle show after.

The children's fishing derby has a new spot.

There is going to be a bigger fireworks show Saturday night, as more money was devoted to it. The show is scheduled to last 18 minutes, starting around 9:45 p.m. They can be viewed from the vicinity of the Clock Tower Plaza at Oak Street and Randall Road. If the weather is bad, the show will be postponed a day.

And organizers have beefed up the entertainment for Friday and Saturday, adding a third act each night. Performers include a Neil Diamond tribute and the band Hillbilly Rockstarz.

Events

The fishing derby on Saturday morning was moved from a private pond to a public lake, so that if kids want to return to the spot on other days, they won't be trespassing.

And it has a new sponsor, the Fox Valley Park District police force. Thus the event at Willow Lake is being called "Cops and Bobbers," festival Chairman Mark Gaffino said. Willow Lake is north of Oak, off North Juniper Drive.

Gaffino said exhibits Saturday at the Mooseheart field house parking lot, Mooseheart Road and Lincolnway, are "well worth attending" with lots of handouts and information on safety.

Kids can climb on big vehicles at the "Touch a Truck" display, and have their photographs and fingerprints taken for identification. Exhibitors from the police department and the Kane County Safety Coalition will present information, and experts will check child car seat installations.

Speaking of public safety officials, the annual emergency-vehicles parade through town returns, starting at 6:30 p.m. at 150 S. Lincolnway. It will proceed north to John Street, west to Willow Way, north to Oak Street, and west to Randall Road.

But it will keep on going, proceeding south and east through Aurora and Montgomery to downtown Oswego, to the new site of the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle Show.

A favorite event returns Sunday: The pet parade. It will start at Lincolnway and head east to the gazebo in Riverfront Park. Entry forms are due Friday. They are available at foxvalleyvet.net.

For a full schedule of events, and where they will take place, visit northauroradays.com.