Naperville Heritage Society canceling Naper Days

One of Naperville's summer festivals will be going on hiatus next year.

The Naperville Heritage Society has decided not to hold Naper Days, the annual Father's Day weekend festival at Naper Settlement.

John Buckley, the settlement's director of institutional advancement, said it is a complex and expensive event to run and its sponsors are all facing budget crunches of their own.

"Economically it was not an event we could continue to do and do well and correctly," Buckley said Saturday. "It just was too expensive."

The event at the 19th century museum was known for activities like bed races, a baking competition, Taste of Naperville, live music and family entertainment.

It recently won a 2009 Best of Naperville award from Naperville Magazine.

"It had a little bit of everything for everybody," Buckley said. "We had the music, we had the kids entertainment ... great grounds - 13 acres - to take part in the event. It was cost effective for families."

This won't be the first hiatus for the event though.

The festival, which started in the early 1970s as Joe Naper Days, disappeared for about a decade as interest waned, but it was resurrected in 2004.

Buckley said Naper Days will likely be back again one day.

"Everybody around the board table and event committee loved the event, would love to keep going," he said. "If we could find the right support we will absolutely bring it back."