Naperville’s end-of-summer sendoff returns this Labor Day weekend with new security measures in place but the same dedication to throwing an epic bash for the community, organizers say.
The 60th annual Last Fling will be offering a carnival, parade, business expo, food and beverage vendors, kid’s activities, lots of live music and no entrance fee. Its hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 30-31; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1, along the downtown Naperville Riverwalk at Main Street and Jackson Avenue.
Presented by the Naperville Jaycees, the event raises money for nonprofit organizations and civil improvements in Naperville and DuPage County, said Karen Coleman, a Jaycees member and Last Fling’s public relations chair.
“We’ve got the cold-blooded creatures, a bubble party, we’ve got a water balloon toss — all that really fun stuff that families love to do and we love doing them because they’re so fun to watch,” she said. “We’re really excited about the musical acts.”
What attendees need to know is there are new security measures in place, Coleman said. One big change is only clear, 12-inch-by-12-inch bags will be allowed to brought into the festival grounds other than medical and diaper bags, which may undergo additional scrutiny. Additionally, all attendees will be required to go through metal detectors.
“Obviously, those changes relate to things going on in the world, not just Naperville,” she said. “We’re following suit to eliminate risk and make sure the event is safe. It’s pretty standard procedure now for many events and venues.”
Also new is an unaccompanied minor policy — anyone under the age of 18 must be chaperoned by an adult. A chaperone aged 25 or older can have up to five minors in their care. Young parents under the age of 25 bringing their own children will be allowed in.
Coleman knows the change isn’t going to be popular, but acknowledged it is in response to “unruly and riotous behavior we’ve experienced in the past. … We’ve decided to do this in an attempt to make the event safe and secure.”
There have been instances of dozens of young people standing in clumps in front of ticket booths or ride lines, she said.
“Eventually, those young people without anything to do will get bored. And when boredom comes, trouble follows. We’re trying to mitigate all that.”
She understands the inconvenience. People are used to dropping a minivan full of kids off at the Riverwalk or letting their kids ride their bikes to the festival. The Jaycees struggled with the decision, which wasn’t made lightly, she said.
“Ultimately, we love the Fling and we look forward to doing it every year. It is a labor of love,” she said. “We are an organization of volunteers. We spend months planning this in addition to what we have going on in our lives. We spend the time doing this because we love doing this and we love the event. And we know the funds we raise our going to do amazing things in our community.”
Humble beginnings
Last Fling was inspired by the 1955 movie “Picnic” at a time when Naperville was a much smaller community, Coleman said. Beer was served by the bucket, food options were limited and the carnival was small.
The event was so casual that the music was provided by young people in a battle of the bands-type event in the Centennial Beach parking lot, she said.
Organized annually by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce for many years, the Jaycees took over in 1981, she said. Within 20 years, the event became almost unrecognizable, with thousands of people attending annually and big-name bands like Three Dog Night, Collective Soul, the Zac Brown Band and the Goo Goo Dolls performing.
“Huge years happened in the mid-to-late aughts. In 2008, Jason Aldean performed. He was a lightning-in-a-bottle year. He was signed to play the Fling very early in the year and then he won all these Country Music Awards. By the time the Fling happened … (he) was enormous.”
In recent years, the event has tried to go back to its roots music-wise by returning to local bands to provide entertainment on the main stage at Main Street and Jackson Avenue.
More Top Picks Simpson Cm61083
Friday’s lineup is 7th Heaven and Sammy and the Knights. Saturday’s mainstage acts are Too Hype Crew as the headliner, along with ‘90s Pop Nation, Fearless and Buckshot Bully. On Sunday, the headlining act is 16 Candles. Other mainstage acts include The Ron Burgundys, Mix Tape Junkies and Within Four Days. Monday’s acts are Mike and Joe and Rick Lindy and the Wild Ones.
The Beer Garden will have music throughout the weekend as well.
Familiy activities include Dave DiNasso’s Traveling World of Reptiles, Games by Treasures Naperville, a song-and-dance party with Elsa, an Improv comedy show by the theater department at Steps Dance Center, crafts, a Hawaiian art party, a performance of “Freaky Friday: a New Musical” by Theater for Charity, a spaghetti-eating contest, and a dinosaur event with a life-size raptor and baby dino called Walking with the Dinosaurs.
Carnival rides this year will be provided by Windy City Amusements, with new additions including the Sky Rider, a towering swing ride that sends people 80 feet into the air, and the Zipper, which flips and spins riders in multiple directions. And after a multiyear absence, the 65-foot Giant Century Ferris wheel is returning, organizers said.
The annual Labor Day parade will be at 10 a.m. Monday, beginning at Naperville North High School, proceeding south on Mill Street, east on Jefferson Avenue, south on Main Street and west on Porter Avenue, ending at Naperville Central High School.
Parade grand marshal is Liz Spencer, executive director of NCTV17, who is retiring after 23 years.
Coleman said she knows the changes this year might be frustrating for some, but the goal is to keep people safe while they’re having fun.
“We want to do everything we can to prevent anything bad from happening,” she said. “We want everyone to celebrate … and to do so safely.”
Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.