Naperville's Centennial Beach preparing for 2019 season
Both the shallow and deep ends of Naperville Park District's Centennial Beach have been emptied and cleaned, revealing the quarry's depth and its natural stone walls.
Soon district staff will begin filling the historical swimming facility with fresh water, as one of many preparations for the May 25 opening.
Located in downtown Naperville, Centennial Beach features a sandy beach, zero-depth entry, water features and a slide at the shallow end and piers, diving boards and deep water swimming at the deep end.
Centennial Beach memberships are on sale at preseason rates through May 24, with a variety of memberships from which to choose, including adult, youth, senior and family. Twilight memberships are valid only on weekday evenings and on weekends and a Plus Friends option allows an individual or family to bring two guests on any given day.
Plus Friends memberships are available for purchase only through May 24. Memberships may be purchased online at www.centennialbeach.org or at a Naperville Park District facility.
Benefits of Beach membership include early entry on weekdays at 11 a.m., a 10-percent discount at Centennial Grill, coupons for park district amenities, and two guest passes.
New for 2019, the Mudrats Swim Team is adding a water polo team, open to both male and female athletes ages 8 to 14. The program's goal is to enhance and complement each athlete's swimming experience with the skills learned in water polo, a popular and growing team sport.
Also new in 2019 is a Junior Lifeguard training program, which will offer youth ages 10 through 14 training in first aid, CPR, water rescue, teamwork and leadership. Online registration is available for both programs at www.centennialbeach.org.
Continuing a valued tradition, Centennial Beach will host four Special Needs Nights Sundays from 6:30-8 p.m. June 16 and 30 and July 14 and 28. These evenings provide a quiet, relaxing atmosphere for families with special needs; no registration is required.
In addition to both youth and adult swim lessons, summer programs at Centennial Beach include Beachside Yoga and Paddle Board Yoga.
For the third year, Tuk Tuk will be available for paid rides from Centennial Beach, with pickup location on Jackson Avenue.