Afternoon Festivities offers games, music, food after 4th of July Parade

Keep your Fourth of July in high gear with Afternoon Festivities, an event presented by the Glen Ellyn Park District, timed to immediately follow the Glen Ellyn 4th of July parade.

"The parade usually ends about 1 p.m.," said Jessica Marquez, Glen Ellyn Park District recreation supervisor. "Usually as the parade is ending, people walk down into the park and take part in the Afternoon Festivities event."

The parade finishes up at Lake Ellyn Park, where revelers will find this family-oriented event going until 4 p.m. July 4.

Marquez said Afternoon Festivities offers children a variety of penny carnival games, including stand-a-bottle, duck hunt, hungry hippos, the wrecking ball game, mini hoops and ring toss.

Game winners will receive tickets that are redeemable for prizes, she said.

The admission fee for the carnival games is the purchase of a $3 wristband. The wristband also entitles the wearer to entry into two inflatable bounce houses and two inflatable obstacle courses.

Proceeds from wristband sales go toward funding Glen Ellyn Park District scholarships for families experiencing economic hardship, Marquez said.

The Stand restaurant will be in the park, offering cheeseburgers, bratwurst, hot dogs and polish sausages for purchase.

The park also will be jumping with music from Ear Candy, a Chicago-area band that specializes in cover versions of rock and popular tunes. A wristband is not required to listen to the concert.

And face painters will be on hand to give kids' a special look for the Fourth.

For more information, please visit www.gepark.org/afternoon.