Two-year-old Kylie Pak didn’t talk much, but her smile said plenty when she won an inflatable frog as tall as she is at a Last Fling carnival game Saturday afternoon.
“We’ve been going to the Last Fling for years, but this is the first time she has been able to participate,” said her mom, Kelly, of Naperville. “It’s been great.”
As much as the Pak family enjoyed checking out the rides and games at Naperville’s annual farewell-to-summer bash sponsored by the Naperville Jaycees, the visit would pay off another dividend as soon as they got home, said Kylie’s dad, Andy.
“She is going to have an awesome nap after this,” Andy Pak said.
Taking a nap was far from the minds of 8-year-old Presley McDougall and her dad, Nathan, who stopped for a break before heading back to the amusements on Jackson Avenue.
“We plan to come all weekend and ride the rides,” said Nathan McDougall, who purchased the unlimited carnival-ride pass for his family. “We do this every year, and the kids really like it.”
That’s what organizers count on, said Danielle Tufano, Last Fling’s marketing and public relations coordinator.
“People love the Last Fling because it is a fun way to say farewell to summer,” Tufano said. “It’s a great way for the entire family to come out and have a great time.”
Tufano said planning started last October for the event, as the committee worked to secure bands, sponsors and food and beverage vendors. The Last Fling is the Jaycees’ biggest fundraiser of the year, and an estimated 200,000 people will visit during the four-day event, which ends Monday.
“We are excited to throw one of biggest parties of the year, but moreso than that, we are excited to raise money for local organizations,” she said. “Over the last 10 years, the Naperville Jaycees have donated over $2 million to organizations to help with various causes like hunger, poverty, social services, veteran support and more.”
While big-name music acts like the BoDeans, who played Friday night, and Sugar Ray and Jamey Johnson, who take the main stage Sunday and Monday evenings, draw big crowds at night, there are plenty of reasons to arrive early in the day.
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“The kids are riding lots of rides and playing a lot of games,” said Jill Forthmann, who was at the Last Fling with her grandchildren Adam and Ella Bodtke, of Naperville. “We are going to get their faces painted, and who knows what next.”
Forthmann, who lives in San Diego, said it was not only her first trip to the Last Fling, but also it was a special day.
“It’s my birthday, and they flew me out here,” she said. “I love spending time with them, and we are having so much fun.”
The Last Fling carnival hours are from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday. For more information, go to www.lastfling.org.
Jane Donahue is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.