Why Naperville’s Last Fling is instituting new safety measures
Naperville’s Last Fling returns for its 60th year with a few changes — minors must be with an adult and only clear bags will be allowed.
The changes were recently announced on social media by the Naperville Jaycees, which hosts the four-day event over Labor Day weekend.
“We just want to make sure that everyone is safe,” said Karen Coleman, the event’s public relations and marketing chair. “The Naperville Jaycees would be devastated and heartbroken if we didn’t take the necessary precautions and someone got injured at our event.”
She said the changes were not made lightly, and the Jaycees worked with the city of Naperville to draft the new policies.
This year, minors under the age of 18 will be required to be accompanied by an adult age 25 or older while attending the festival. One adult can accompany up to five minors. Coleman said the adults must stay within “a reasonable distance” of the minor so they can see each other.
She noted that issues with crowd control among the younger festivalgoers spurred some of the security changes.
The Jaycees also adopted a clear bag policy this year. Guests also will be subject to metal detector checks.
“Unfortunately, last year we found a significant number of concealed weapons or things that could be considered a weapon,” Coleman said.
She said the Jaycees will spend the weeks leading up to the Last Fling reminding people about the new policies. She also encouraged parents to talk to their children about safety and the changes to this year’s event.
“We would prefer that everyone plan ahead with what they need to do,” she said.
She said the festival, which typically draws 150,000 guests over the four days, will still feature many of the popular attractions — including live music and family-friendly activities — that have made it a popular end-of-summer fest.
The Naperville Jaycees Tuesday will announce the main stage acts for the festival, which runs Aug. 29 through Sept. 1.
Entrance to the festival is free. Additional information about the Last Fling can be found at lastfling.org.