Naperville Park District April and May Events Preview
The Naperville Park District offers a lineup of special events and programs during the months of April and May for a variety of ages and interests.
Knoch Knolls Nature Center will host a series of Wildflower Walks for ages 16 and up. Led by a naturalist, participants will get an up-close view of different woodland flowers at Knoch Knolls Park each week. Walks are scheduled from 1:00-2:30 p.m. on Sundays, April 2, April 30, May 14 and May 21. The program is free but registration is required.
Beginning April 5, the Park District will offer weekly gardening workshops for ages 18 and up designed to teach the basics of gardening. All workshops meet at Sportsman's Park Community Clubhouse at 735 S. West St. on Wednesday evening from 7:00-9:00. The April 5 and 19 sessions cover basic gardening and the April 12 and 26 sessions focus on organic gardening. The programs are free but registration is required.
Between April 13 and April 15 kids can participate in a variety of egg hunts. The Flashlight Egg Hunt returns on Thursday, April 13 from 7:15-8:00 p.m. for kids ages 9-13 at Knoch Knolls Nature Center and Picnic Grove. Preregistration is required and may be completed online at www.napervilleparks.org. The cost is $10 for Naperville residents and $15 for nonresidents and includes prizes and refreshments.
On Friday, April 14, kids ages 4-12 may enjoy an evening of crafts, games and food at Fort Hill Activity Center, with an egg hunt for younger kids and an egg race for the older kids. The event runs from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Register online at www.napervilleparks.org or call 630-995-8909.
Frontier Sports Complex will host the 36th annual Jaycee Easter Egg Hunt for kids ages 1-8 on Saturday, April 15 at 9:00 a.m. sharp. Parents are advised to arrive early, as the eggs disappear quickly. This event is free and requires no registration. The Jaycees will be accepting donations of non-perishable food items at the event; no glass containers, please.
Another favorite event for young children, Wonderful World of Wheels, presented by Woody Buick GMC, is coming to Whole Foods Naperville parking lot on Monday, May 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Preschoolers will be able to see, touch and experience familiar community vehicles, including police cars, fire trucks and many more. This is a free event, thanks to several participating community agencies and businesses that bring their vehicles and to our sponsors, including Woody Buick GMC, Whole Foods Market Naperville, Happy Family Organic Superfoods, Rocket Ice and KidSnips.
Everyone is invited to attend the annual Élan Dance Company Showcase on Saturday, May 6 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College. This performance features a variety of dances from classical ballet to contemporary styles of dance. Tickets are available online at www.napervilleparks.org for $8 until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5 and for $10 at the door.
Another unique way to enjoy spring is to stop by the annual Dog-Disc Championship event, held on Saturday, May 13 at the Riverwalk Grand Pavilion. The competition begins at 9:00 a.m. and continues through the day. Spectators will see amazing moves by dogs that run and leap in the air to catch their discs. Dog owners interested in entering their dogs in the event may register on site beginning at 8:30 a.m. Contact Tom Wehrli for more information at 630-913-5933.