Why officials want new events to pick south Naperville over downtown

Naperville will welcome up to six new special events next year but will encourage several of them to take place on the south side of town to alleviate constraints on central neighborhoods.

“As a longtime resident of south Naperville, I think that's a great idea,” council member Judith Brodhead said. “I think it will serve to make the south end of town feel more included in some of these big events.”

Two new half marathons, a triathlon, a kids' running event, a Masonic lodge's 100th anniversary celebration and a Corpus Christi Mass procession were approved in concept to join the rest of the city's 2016 special events calendar.

City council members OK'd the dates of 54 events that use streets or sidewalks, paving the way for activities such as races, charity walks, parades, wine and beer events, and holiday festivals.

And with that, City Clerk Pam LaFeber declared next year's special events calendar closed.

Any other major events that need city services or street closures will be placed on a waiting list in case one of the approved 54 cancels, LaFeber said.

The approved events already place a burden on residents in downtown and other central Naperville neighborhoods. LaFeber said those residents have complained in increasing numbers about the hassle of races, parades and festivals closing their streets, hogging parking or playing loud music.

Clerk's office staffers weighed the number of complaints received from the central and south portions of town before deciding to encourage new events to find a home away from the typical downtown venues of Jackson Avenue or the Riverwalk.

One of the new half marathons, the Naperville Women's Half Marathon set for April 24, has been directed to chart a course in south Naperville.

The other, the Girlfriends Half Marathon planned for Aug. 21, has been asked to choose a route in the northwest or south sections of the city.

A new triathlon invitational planned by North Central College for Sept. 10 has been asked to partner with one of the other triathlons in Naperville — the Sprint Triathlon on Aug. 7 or the Esprit de She Women's Triathlon on June 12.

A Corpus Christi Mass and procession has been asked to avoid downtown streets in favor of sidewalks and the Riverwalk.

And even a 100th anniversary celebration of the Masonic lodge in downtown Naperville has been asked to choose a location away from the commercial core.

“Wherever they go, we definitely have to have a balance of quality of life in Naperville,” council member Paul Hinterlong said about the new events.

Two events hosted last year — the 360 Spring Ahead Run and the Rotary Club of Naperville's Freedom 5K — have dropped off the calendar for this year, but LaFeber said those were smaller scale events, while the new races and celebrations are expected to be larger.

The special events calendar contains activities in February through November 2016 with nothing major planned in January or December.