Summer in the suburbs: Despite cool June and wildfire smoke in July, pools have been busy this season

The acrid smoke that drifted down from Canadian wildfires this month didn’t dramatically affect overall attendance totals at many suburban swimming pools or water parks, a Daily Herald survey shows.

Neither did the region’s unusually cool and rainy June.

Customer counts typically are above or near seasonal averages so far this summer. In some communities, they’re well above average.

In Arlington Heights, for example, more than 66,200 people visited the four outdoor swimming pools operated by the local park district between Memorial Day and last weekend. That is nearly 3% greater than the most recent five-year average even though a fifth pool at Recreation Park is closed for construction this season.

“Arlington Heights has always been a strong aquatic community,” Brian Meyer, the district’s director of recreation and facilities, said through a spokesperson.

Solid attendance means more revenue for park districts, which typically operate aquatic facilities at a financial loss that can reach six figures.

“Equipment, chemicals, water loss (and) staffing are very expensive,” said Ron Salski, executive director of the Mundelein Park & Recreation District.

An unusual start

The current pool season started with weather that was decidedly not pool-friendly.

According to the National Weather Service, the average temperature in the Chicago area in June was 70.5 degrees, more than 3 degrees cooler than the month’s average over the last five years.

It rained more in June than usual, too. Meteorologists recorded 5 inches of rainfall in the region; the average for the last five years is less than 3.4 inches.

July has swung the other way, with less rain than usual and higher-than-average temperatures. Thermometers here haven’t yet cracked 100 degrees, but they’ve been close, with two heat waves bringing recorded highs of 90 degrees or more on eight of the month’s first 19 days.

And across the suburbs, folks donned bathing suits, grabbed their pool floats and went swimming.

Numbers are up

Public pools and aquatic centers in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Glen Ellyn and Lombard are among those that attracted more customers between Memorial Day and this past weekend than they did during the same period last year.

More than 36,200 people visited the Schaumburg Park District’s four aquatic facilities between Memorial Day and last weekend — a 20% increase from 2025.

The hot weather in July wasn’t the only reason for Schaumburg’s big bump, park district spokesperson Justin Sienkiewicz said. Several pools managed by homeowner associations didn’t open this summer, he noted, which likely drove users to public pools.

Additionally, the park district added family-friendly events to the various pool schedules. They’ve included a pirate takeover at Meineke Pool, a glow-in-the-dark, nighttime bash at the Atcher Island water park and a mermaid-themed party at Bock Pool. More are coming.

“Our attendance numbers definitely go up on those days,” Sienkiewicz said. “People love the events.”

More than 49,000 customers visited the Des Plaines Park District’s Mystic Waters Family Aquatic Center and the pools at Arndt Park and Chippewa Park between Memorial Day and last weekend. While that figure is down about 5% from the same period in 2025, it’s up nearly 16% from 2024.

Parks officials are pleased with the latest numbers.

“Looking at the extended forecast, this summer should exceed, if not come very close to, last summer,” Facilities and Recreation Director Brian Panek said.

‘Weather events happen’

Not every suburban aquatic facility is drawing more visitors than usual.

Attendance at Naperville Park District’s Centennial Beach between Memorial Day and last weekend was about 9% lower than the same period in 2025 and nearly 10% lower than the most recent five-year average.

The destructive storms that swept through the suburbs June 10 dented attendance figures, spokesperson Sameera Luthman said; the staff had to close the beach the next day so crews could remove broken tree branches.

Naperville parks officials opted to close the beach July 16 and part of July 17 because of the airborne pollution from Canada.

“Weather events happen,” Luthman said. “It’s nothing we can control.”

Attendance totals for pools and water parks in Elk Grove and St. Charles are lower so far this summer than the five-year average, too.

Des Plaines Park District staffers tried to make their wildfire-related shutdowns work for them.

“The closures gave us some time to do some maintenance,” Executive Director Don Miletic said.

The financial impact

While attendance at the Mundelein Park & Recreation District’s Barefoot Bay Aquatic Center between Memorial Day and last weekend was about 14% greater than the latest five-year average for that period, it was down more than 9% from 2025.

June’s unseasonable weather was particularly rough on the district’s finances. The facility typically brings in a little more than $9,000 a day during the summer, Salski said; that average dropped to $6,000 in June.

The revenue lost because of two wildfire-related partial closures this month hurt, too.

“We lost $10,000 to $12,000,” Salski said.

Public pools traditionally aren’t profitable, and Barefoot Bay is no exception. It operates at an annual net loss of between $150,000 and $200,000, Salski said.

“There are some parks-and-recreation services and amenities that can’t always be about money,” Salski said. “It is a great water park, and we love having it for the community.”