New Fourth of July festival in Naperville to honor veterans, military personnel

Honoring veterans, active military personnel and first responders is the core mission of a new Fourth of July weekend festival in Naperville.

The inaugural Naperville Salute, scheduled for July 2-4, will benefit Naperville Responds for Veterans, a local nonprofit assisting individuals who have served in the military and their families with home repairs, renovations and other services, event Chairwoman Michele Clemen said.

Held at Rotary Hill near the downtown Naperville Riverwalk, the first two days are planned as a community gathering filled with entertainment, food and family activities, Clemen said. On July 4, the event will move south for a fireworks display in Frontier Park, 3380 Cedar Glade Drive, with designated sponsorship areas set up for tailgating and premier viewing.

Naperville Responds for Veterans initially planned to host The Salute last summer, spotting an opening in the city's schedule after Ribfest organizers announced the relocation of the long-standing Fourth of July tradition to Romeoville.

"This was an opportunity the organization saw to bring back that hometown feel by keeping it smaller than what the footprint of Ribfest was, but still providing Naperville with a festival that weekend," Clemen said.

But the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench in the nonprofit's plans, forcing the cancellation of The Salute's festival component, she said, though a scaled-back version of the fireworks show did proceed.

The event committee is monitoring the changing COVID-19 landscape ahead of this year's festivities, Clemen said. All public health guidelines pertaining to capacity limits, social distancing and mask mandates, among other safety protocols, will be followed and updated accordingly.

"We're excited to be able to do this and hopefully carry it into the future," she said.

General admission is free for the fireworks show and costs $15 for the festival on Rotary Hill, she said. Proceeds will support the core mission of Naperville Responds for Veterans, which raises money, collects building materials, provides professional labor and coordinates the process to repair, build and donate homes to veterans.

The nonprofit serves families in Naperville and surrounding communities with home improvement projects, such as replacing windows and doors, making bathrooms and homes handicapped-accessible, building ramps, widening doors, repairing roofs and other upgrades to improve the quality of life for a veteran, according to its website. Applications for assistance are vetted by the organization's committee on an income and need basis.