Wheaton, Carol Stream Fourth of July events are Labor Day weekend
The heat wave of early summer is almost gone, the dangerous drought conditions are easing, and the cleanup from the July 1 storm is nearly complete.
Now residents of Wheaton and Carol Stream can finally have some overdue fun.
Both communities rescheduled their Independence Day celebrations due to the extreme weather conditions during the July holiday. And both will take advantage of Labor Day weekend to celebrate the Fourth of July in early September.
Carol Stream will sponsor a concert by Billy Croft & 5 Alarm from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, at its Town Center, followed by fireworks at roughly 8:20 p.m., sponsored with the Carol Stream Park District.
Village officials said they could have held the fireworks show on July 4 by having the fire department water the grass near the staging area to keep it safe. But they were still concerned for residents’ safety in temperatures that reached the high 90s, even into the evening.
“We just felt like it wasn’t good to have people out in that kind of heat,” Assistant to the Village Manager Chris Oakley said.
The five-piece band will perform cover tunes from country artists such as Sugarland, Jason Aldean, Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. Local eatery Rocco Vino’s will sell pizza and Culver’s will sell frozen custard.
The fireworks show, which will be choreographed to patriotic music, can be seen at Veterans Park and Mitchell Lakes, in addition to the Town Center.
Due to limited paved parking at the Ross Ferraro Town Center, the village will provide shuttle service from 6 to 9:30 p.m. to and from Glenbard North High School, 990 Kuhn Road; the Simkus Recreation Center, 849 Lies Road; and Heritage Presbyterian Church, 965 N. Kuhn Road.
Oakley said several residents have thanked the village for keeping the annual tradition.
That’s also the case in Wheaton, where the park district will sponsor two days of rescheduled Independence Day festivities this weekend after the July 1 storm left downed trees and power lines in the staging area of the annual parade and fireworks.
“Our reason was the safety factor. The timeline of getting everything repaired just wasn’t clear,” park district Executive Director Mike Benard said. “Obviously it was a disappointing Fourth of July week, but I think everyone is pleased it’s happening now.”
On Sunday, the park district will hold its fireworks show just after sunset. But activities begin at 5 p.m. at Graf Park, next to the DuPage County Fairgrounds, with a carnival, food, DJ music and more.
A parade will follow at 9 a.m. Monday, starting at Main Street and Hawthorne Boulevard. Initially, the parade’s theme was “Snapshots of America,” but Benard said the theme has been tweaked.
“Now it’s ‘Snapshots of America Take Two,’ which is fitting of the photo theme,” he said. “We had to make lemonade out of this situation.
If you go
What: Snapshots of America Take Two
Who: Sponsored by Wheaton Park District
When: Carnival and fireworks at 5 p.m. Sunday; parade at 9 a.m. Monday
Where: Fireworks at Graf Park, 1701 Manchester Road; parade at Main Street and Hawthorne Boulevard, Wheaton
Cost: Free
Details: wheatonparkdistrict.com
If you go
What: Summer Concert Series Finale and Fireworks Extravaganza
Who: Sponsored byVillage of Carol Stream and Carol Stream Park District
When: 6 p.m. Sunday
Where: Ross Ferraro Town Center, Gary Avenue and Lies Road
Cost: Free
Details: (630) 871-6250 or carolstream.org