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It’s almost that time again: communities across DuPage County are gearing up for some Fourth of July fun. Here’s a roundup of local fireworks shows, parades and other festivities where you can celebrate the holiday.
Downers Grove
Downers Grove will ring in Independence Day 2023 with a parade and fireworks show on July 4. The parade begins at 1 p.m., with the procession traveling south on Main Street and ending at Warren Avenue. This year’s parade grand marshal is Downers Grove native and WGN 720 radio host Jon Hansen.
That evening, the community is invited to the Woodridge-Downers Grove Fireworks display, set to take place at approximately 9:30 p.m. at 75th Street and Lemont Road.
For more information about the events, visit https://www.downers.us/.
Glen Ellyn
Glen Ellyn will celebrate the Fourth of July with a parade and fireworks.
The parade steps off at noon July 4 near Falwell Boulevard and Lambert Road. The route will move eastbound from Lambert Road to Park Boulevard, along the south lane on Fawell Boulevard.
The parade grand marshal is former Chicago Cubs great Billy Williams. Williams played from 1959 to 1976, primarily for the Cubs. He was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year in 1961 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1980, Williams and his family moved to Glen Ellyn and he began working as a coach for the Cubs for nearly two decades.
Parade parking is available at the College of DuPage.
The fireworks will begin at dusk on July 4, at Lake Ellyn Park, 645 Lenox Road.
For more information, visit https://www.glenellyn4thofjuly.org/parade-fireworks.
Westmont
Westmont’s annual Independence Day celebration, featuring a festival and fireworks, will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. at Ty Warner Park, 800 Blackhawk Drive.
Co-hosted by the Westmont Park District and the village of Westmont, festivities will include food vendors, children’s games and activities, a petting zoo, face painting, roaming entertainers, a free watermelon eating contest, the Grand Avenue Big Band performing traditional big band music from 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. and more. The fireworks display is set to begin at 9:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. For the evening’s full schedule of events, visit https://www.westmontparks.org/event/independence-day-celebration/.
Woodridge
The annual Fourth of July Picnic in Woodridge will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Castaldo Park, 3024 71st St. This long-standing tradition began on July 4, 1968, as part of the State of Illinois’ sesquicentennial anniversary.
Picnic attendees are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets and games and enjoy a day in the community. The Woodridge VFW Post 1578 will host a flag-raising ceremony at 11 a.m. Festivities will also include a deejay, trackless train rides for children and food available for purchase.
Event attendees are encouraged to park at the Woodridge Park District Fred C. Hohnke Community Center, 2600 Center Drive, and Village Hall, 5 Plaza Drive. A bus shuttle will leave every 15 minutes from these parking lots. Shuttling begins 30 minutes before the event and stops 30 minutes after the event.
Later that evening, the community can take in the Woodridge-Downers Grove Fireworks display, set to begin at 9:30 p.m. at 75th Street and Lemont Road. For more information on the day’s festivities, visit https://www.woodridgeil.gov/.
Wheaton
Wheaton’s ‘Star-Spangled Summer’ two-day event will feature a fest, fireworks and a parade.
The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. July 3, with lawn games, concessions, small carnival rides, a deejay entertainment and giveaways at Graf Park, 1855 Manchester Road. Carnival ride tickets and wristbands will be available to purchase onsite. Stay for the Independence Day fireworks display, set to begin around 9 p.m. that night.
Wheaton’s 2023 Independence Day Parade will step off at 10 a.m. July 4 at Main Street and Wakeman Avenue in downtown Wheaton. The viewing stand will be on Front Street. This year’s grand marshal is Bernard Hurley, who turned 100 years old on May 15 and is a World War II veteran who served under the command of General George S. Patton Jr. He will be accompanied by his grandson, Jon Ryan Hurley, a Marine who served in Afghanistan.
More information about the festivities can be found at https://wheatonparkdistrict.com/events/july4/.
Additionally, Wheaton’s 2023 Field of Honor display, set to feature 2,000 flags dedicated to military veterans and service members, first responders and other heroes, will be open from dawn to dusk through July 4, at Seven Gables Park, 1750 S. Naperville Road. The display is a gift to the community made possible through donations, sponsorships and the efforts of many dedicated volunteers.