The Fourth of July will come a day early this year in Riverside and Brookfield, so don’t come out to sit on the curb to watch parades on Sunday – you’ll have missed it.
Brookfield
Because the Fourth falls on Sunday this year, Brookfield will host its annual parade on Saturday, July 3, beginning at 10 a.m. The parade steps off on Grand Boulevard at Garfield Avenue and will proceed down Grand Boulevard to Brookfield Avenue before heading east toward Kiwanis Park.
After the parade, all residents are invited to gather at Kiwanis Park (at the corner of Brookfield and Arden avenues) for a celebration that features live musical entertainment until 6 p.m. Among the acts performing are Green Thirteen from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m., the Neverly Brothers from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m. and a Battle of the Bands winners showcase from 5 to 6 p.m.
Riverside
Independence Day festivities in Riverside will kick off on Friday, July 2 at 6 p.m. with a concert in Guthrie Park (across the street from the downtown train station) featuring the music of Butter Side Down. You can bring your own refreshments or buy them from local vendors including Mollie’s Irish Pub, The Chew Chew, Mi Casita, Soul Amici, Twilight Party Rentals and Aunt Diana’s.
Those athletically inclined can get an early start on the main celebration on Saturday, July 3 by participating in Riverside’s annual Independence Day 5K, which starts at 7:30 a.m. and is sponsored by the Riverside Department of Parks and Recreation. For information call 442-7025.
At 8:45 a.m., Riverside’s Independence Day parade will begin from Longcommon and Delaplaine roads and wind its way south on its traditional route – over the tracks and toward the Riverside Township Hall.
For the second consecutive year, the parade is being staged cooperatively by the Department of Parks and Recreation and the Riverside Friends of the Fourth, a volunteer group that raises money for the parade.
Immediately following the parade, residents are invited to gather at Guthrie Park for “Festivities in the Park.”
Fireworks
With North Riverside taking another pass on hosting a fireworks show, the closest town with a fireworks display this year is Lyons. The village will host its own parade starting at 1 p.m.
At 3 p.m. the festivities begin at Smith Park (Lawndale Avenue and 42nd Street) with the fire department’s water fight. At 8 p.m. a DJ will pump out the tunes until 9 p.m. when the fireworks cap off the evening in style.
By the way, if a cappella music is your thing, you may want to head to the Hofmann Tower in Lyons (just west of the Barrypoint bridge over the Des Plaines River) on Friday, July 2.
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., you can listen to the a cappella rock ‘n’ roll of AC Rock.
