Water sales brisk at Naperville's 50th Last Fling

Organizers of the Last Fling celebration in Naperville said they sold record amounts of water and Gatorade as festivalgoers stayed hydrated during a steamy Labor Day weekend.

The fest wrapped up Monday evening after four days of concerts, carnival rides, unusual contests and a Labor Day parade - all on days with high temperatures around 90 degrees.

"The sun was shining all four days. It was a bit hotter than we expected," said John Trojanowski, one of the festival's co-executive directors along with Mark Moulesong. "But we didn't get any rain."

Rain, instead, came Tuesday as vendors were clearing the remains of the main stage setup at Rotary Hill along the Riverwalk.

This year marked the 50th annual Last Fling after the event grew from a small gathering downtown barber Rick Motta created as a way for Naperville businesses to thank the community.

Motta, 84, served as the grand marshal for this year's parade. Trojanowski said many viewers called the parade the best they've seen in years.

The parade followed both the Fling Mile and a new running race, the Rooster 5K. A total of between 700 and 800 runners participated in the two races. Some even ran them both - back-to-back - to complete the inaugural Fling Challenge.

Visitors also enjoyed the new Army Fun Zone, which included face painting and a dog tag machine, as well as a concert lineup featuring headliners Daughtry, Chevelle and Lita Ford.

"It was nothing but rave reviews all across the board," Trojanowski said.

There were no major health emergencies or arrests at the festival, Trojanowski said. That could be in part because volunteers with the Naperville Jaycees, the club that hosts the Fling, frequently reminded guests to stay hydrated.

Water and Gatorade sales were so high on Friday and Saturday that organizers had to order more to ensure supplies wouldn't run out. On Sunday alone, Trojanowski estimates volunteers at the Fling sold more than 1,300 cases of bottled water.