Brookfield
The popular Brookfield Independence Day Parade will step off at 10 a.m. from the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Garfield Avenue. The parade will head down Grand Boulevard all the way to Brookfield Avenue, where it will head east to Kiwanis Park, located at Brookfield and Arden avenues.
Following the parade, all residents are invited to join in a July 4 celebration at Kiwanis Park where there will be free musical entertainment by the Neverly Brothers from 12:30 to 2:15 p.m. and Kharma from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m.
Winners from Brookfield’s Battle of the Bands contest back in May will take the stage from 5 until 6 p.m.
During the afternoon hours, the Military Order of the Purple Heart will display photos of Illinois servicemen and women killed while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The display also pays tribute to those who have served in all of America’s wars.
While participants can lug their own coolers to the park, food, beverages and ice cream will be available for purchase from the Brookfield Jaycees, the Brookfield Kiwanis Club and the Brookfield Recreation Department.
Riverside
The Riverside Friends of the Fourth, the nonprofit organization that raises money to fund the village’s Independence Day festivities, will kick off the holiday weekend on Sunday, July 3 with a Concert in the Park, which this year features more musical entertainment than ever.
The concert will be held at Guthrie Park, located across the street from the Riverside train station on Bloomingbank Road. Opening ceremonies commence at 6 p.m. with the singing of the National Anthem by Village Clerk Arlene Blaha.
After that from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m., the Great Lakes Naval Band “New Horizons” will take the stage. The seven-piece band plays a mix of contemporary music, from classic rock to Motown.
The Sinful Saints, a Dixieland band, will perform from 7 to 8:15 p.m., followed from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. by Riverside’s own Butter Side Down, which has performed at the concert for the past two years.
Food and drink will be available for purchase at the concert.
Riverside’s Independence Day celebration will begin bright and early on Monday, July 4 with the 33rd Annual 5K Run at 7:30 a.m. A link to the online registration form is available at the village of Riverside website, www.riverside.il.us. The fee is $25 per runner.
The race begins and ends at the water tower in Centennial Park, with the route winding its way down Longcommon Road, Selborne Road, Parkway Road, Northgate Road, Northwood Road and Akenside Road.
At 8:45 a.m., the main event begins with a parade down Longcommon Road, from Delaplaine Road to Riverside Road. Following the parade, residents are invited to gather in Guthrie Park for the Independence Day Festival, which will feature booths from a variety of community organizations. Food, drinks and plants will be available for purchase. The event runs from 10 a.m. to noon.
Other nearby events, fireworks
Since the village of North Riverside canceled its July 4 fireworks a couple of years back, local residents have had to travel to find a bit of high-explosive entertainment once dusk hits on Independence Day.
Here are a couple of options that aren’t too far away from home:
The village of Lyons will host both an Independence Day parade and a fireworks display on Monday, July 4.
The parade begins at 1 p.m., 46th Street and Lawndale Avenue, heads east on 46th Street to Joliet Avenue and then north to the fire department.
If you’re looking for fireworks, head to Smith Park on Lawndale Avenue just south of Ogden Avenue. The fireworks begin at dusk.
The LaGrange Park District’s Patriots in the Park event is one place where you can get your fireworks fix this Independence Day weekend. The festivities start on Sunday, July 3 at 9:30 p.m. at Waiola Park, 47th Street and Waiola Avenue in LaGrange.
The venue is just a few blocks from the LaGrange Country Club, meaning it’s a prime viewing spot for the country club’s annual fireworks display. WLTL, the radio station at Lyons Township High School, will provide the live soundtrack accompanying the display.
A little farther west, you can enjoy plenty of music, food, fun and fireworks at the Taste of Oak Brook, which begins at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 3 at the Oak Brook Polo Fields, on 31st Street just west of York Road. Admission to the event is free and parking is available for $10.
The event features demonstrations from the Jesse White Tumblers, four bands and food from a variety of restaurants. Fireworks start at 9:30 p.m.
The Park District of Forest Park will host a day-long July 4 celebration, beginning at 10 a.m. when the aquatic center opens. Things start humming at 1 p.m. with bingo, games, music, food and more. The evening concludes with a fireworks display at 9:15 p.m.
The event will be held at the park district headquarters, 7501 Harrison St.
Finally, Oak Park will host a firework extravaganza (sponsored by the Landmark’s sister paper, Wednesday Journal) at the Oak Park and River Forest High School football stadium East Avenue and Lake Street, on Monday, July 4, at dusk, with a rain date of Tuesday, July 5.
