North Aurora Days celebrates summer with live music, fireworks and family fun

North Aurora Days, a two-day community festival, returns to Riverfront Park on Aug. 7-8 with live music from bands like headliners Radio Gaga and Bon Journeyed, family fun, and fireworks.

Also, around town, there will be a Touch-a-Truck event featuring vehicles from about a dozen local businesses and agencies at Jewel Middle School; fishing derby at Willow Lake; the annual softball tournament; and the community garage sale.

The food and beer tents are open from 5 to 11 p.m. both days at Riverfront Park, 25 E. State St., with other community events spread throughout town. Admission is free.

The food trucks at Riverfront Park will include: DillaDawgs, My Funnel Truck, Happy Lobster, Mr. Hibachi Express, Dulce Tentaciones Mexicanas, Taste Greek Street Food and Kissed by Fire BBQ & Pizza.

On stage

The festival stage will open on Friday with Whiskey Road, performing a blend of rock and country, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Radio Gaga will feature some of your favorite hits from Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury from 8:30 to 11 p.m.

On Saturday, the four-piece cover band 28 Days, now in its second decade of music, will perform from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Bon Journeyed will perform some of the most iconic rock anthems of all time from 8:30 to 11 p.m. to close out the two-day festival.

Community garage sale

Over 110 residences are participating in the annual North Aurora Days Community Garage Sale on Friday and Saturday. An interactive digital map at northauroradays.org/events/community-garage-sale/ provides options to sort residences based on days of participation as well as selected categories, such as antiques, baby/child, clothing, household, movies, books, electronics, sporting goods, and tools.

Community crafts and fun

North Aurora Days is working with Messenger Public Library and Crossway Fox Valley to bring some additional fun to this year’s festival.

Located in the Kids Zone (lower basin of the park behind the gazebo), both organizations will have tents set up with fun games and activities from 5 to 9 p.m. both days.

Get ready to test your skill and luck with Crossway Fox Valley and their giant collection of lawn games! Check out yard-sized Connect Four, lawn bowling, Bozo Buckets, Tin Toss, Plinko and more.

Over at the Messenger Public Library tent, you can embrace your artistic side with a fun arts and craft activity.

Family fun

Animal Quest is bringing the cutest and the fluffiest animals to North Aurora Days for a petting zoo from 6 to 9 p.m. both days. Animals could change prior to show, but there are expected to be some rabbits, goats, ducks, and chickens.

Join in the creative arts of face painting, airbrush tattoos, and balloon art from 5 to 9 p.m. in the tent area in the children’s programming section (lower basin of park).

Or kids can try out the inflatable rides and attractions, including a rodeo mechanical bull ride, a 34-foot slide, an obstacle course challenge, and a bounce house, from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and 5 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Parents must stay with their kids. Waivers may need to be signed on certain inflatable activities.

Fishing derby

The annual fishing derby will be held on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Willow Lake, north of Oak Street off of North Juniper Drive. Pre-registrations are closed, but you can sign up on-site starting at 7:30 a.m.

The free event for age 15 or younger will be 8 to 9:30 a.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No fishing license is required for ages 15 and under. Bring fishing poles and bait.

Prizes will be awarded in each age category. Participants must cast, catch and land the fish to qualify for derby.

Lake access is off Juniper Drive or Dogwood Drive. Due to the access routes, it is recommended that attendees do not park on either Juniper Drive or Dogwood Drive. Parking locations recommended are along Magnolia Drive or Acorn Drive.

Softball tournament

Cheer on the players at the annual co-ed softball games from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on the east and west fields of Fearn Park, 1501 Waterford Road. Parking is available at Fearn Park/Elementary School or in the front lot of Jewel Middle School.

Touch-a-Truck

Join the fun as about a dozen local agencies and businesses participate in Touch-a-Truck, an educational and entertaining event for kids of all ages, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Jewel Middle School parking lot, 1501 Waterford Drive. The first 30 minutes of the event from 10 to 10:30 a.m. will be sensory viewing so no lights and sirens/sounds.

Check out all of the cool trucks and vehicles in the parking lot then step inside (Door #1) and get a free child safety ID, courtesy of the North Aurora Police Department, and visit the Lions Club’s free vision screening for kids.

Be sure to check out the extrication demonstration put on by the North Aurora Fire Protection District and Fox Valley Towing.

Participating organizations bringing vehicles on site include: North Aurora Police, North Aurora Public Works, North Aurora Fire Protection District, West Aurora Unit District 129, Batavia Fire Protection District, Fox Valley Towing, Tri-County Excavating, Red’s Garage, Amrize, Groot and Geneva Construction.

During the Touch-A-Truck event and part of the softball tournament on Saturday, the Dilladawgs and Kona Ice Logo food trucks will be on site serving hot dogs, quesadillas and shaved ice, at Jewel Middle School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ice-cream eating contest

Cheer on contestants in Oberweis Dairy’s free ice-cream eating competition on Saturday at Riverfront Park.

Participants will race the clock (and each other!) to devour their scoop, pint, or bowl the fastest. Categories range from kids to seniors—with fun prizes and sweet glory on the line. Registration is closed.

The contests begin at 5:35 p.m., with the different age groups competing every 5 minutes. The awards ceremony will be at 6:25 p.m.

Fireworks

Fireworks are launching high in the sky at this year’s North Aurora Days. Catch the show launching from Riverfront Park around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. For those enjoying the show from the park, you’ll get to hear it set to synchronized music.

For the schedule, go to northauroradays.org.