Celebrate the new look of North Aurora Island Park

The Fox Valley Park District will hold a grand reopening celebration for newly refurbished North Aurora Island Park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, June 26.

The event will be held in conjunction with the North Aurora River District Alliance, which will kick off the festivities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and cake to celebrate the village's new riverfront overlook.

Free hot dogs, snacks and drinks will be offered. Other activities include touch-a-truck, bike safety, games, prizes, crafts, face painting and balloon animals.

Playground equipment at North Aurora Island Park was completely replaced as part of the renovation and the area was expanded to include eight swings, five slides and a large sand play area with boulder outcroppings. A large picnic table sits in the center of the playground, providing a convenient monitoring station for parents with young children.

Two "park pets" - three-foot-high sculpted fish - double as play equipment. A pair of welcoming arches at the playground's entrance greets visitors. A textured concrete walkway within the playground features real blue heron and raccoon tracks imprinted within.

The 10-acre park also features larger gathering areas to better accommodate festivals and community events that are commonly held at the long-popular venue, with an adjacent parking lot that holds 56 vehicles. For details, visit www.foxvalleyparkdistrict.org.