JULY
The Bourbonnais Public Library invites you to join its “BOOKbonnais” Community Reading Challenge, a free program running from the first of June until the last day of July. It will offer challenges for readers of all ages with a chance to win prizes. Kids will record their reading on a paper log which can be picked up at the library beginning June 1st. Tweens, teens and adults will use the Beanstalk app. Find the details under the “Events” tab at ”Bourbonnais Library (dot) org”.
The American Red Cross is in critical need of blood donors and you can help them keep their supply strong at an upcoming local blood drive. These will be held Wednesday, July 1st from 10am to 4pm at Riverside Medical Center in Kankakee / on Thursday, July 2nd from noon until 6pm at Northfield Square Mall / Monday, July 6th from 11am to 4pm at the KVPD RecCenter in Kankakee / and Wednesday, July 8th from 1 to 6pm at the Knights of Columbus in Kankakee AND from 8am to noon at the St. Anne High School. You can find a blood drive near you by visiting “Red Cross Blood (dot) org”
The annual Beecher 4th of July Festival runs July 1st through the 4th at Fireman’s Park with a full carnival, food and market vendors, a beer pavilion, live music, bingo, parades, a car raffle and more. Fireworks on Saturday, July 4th at 9:30pm. Free admission.
The Village of Manteno’s next “Movies in the Park” event will be held on Thursday, July 2nd from 7:30 until 10pm at the Burke Amphitheater in . Legacy Park. Enjoy a free showing of “The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants” with concessions provided by the Manteno Wildcats. Remember to bring a lawn chair or blanket. The movie begins at dusk.
You can join the Daughters of the American Revolution for a lesson on genealogy hosted at the Limestone Township Public Library at 6pm on Thursday, July 2nd. This event will teach you all of the information that you’ll need to learn how to look up your lineage and trace your family’s history. The library’s address is at 2701 West Tower Road in Kankakee.
Enjoy a free concert in the park with the Kankakee Municipal Band at the Don Palzer Bandshell in Kankakee’s Bird Park each Thursday night this summer at 7pm. The next one will be on Thursday, July 2nd. The theme will be “Happy 4th of July”, featuring Patrick Skelly. Remember to bring a lawn chair. MiaBella’s Wood Fired Pizza truck will be on site.
The Northern Illinois Anglers Association will now host its 43rd annual Kankakee River Fishing Derby July 3rd through July 12th and our radio station is a sponsor of the event. This year’s fish have blue tags. The grand prize for the 2026 derby will be a boat, motor and trailer courtesy of NECA/IBEW Local 176. For details about Illinois’ largest family derby, visit “Kankakee Fishing Derby (dot) com”.
The Friday Night Concert Series returns on July 3rd with Tie-Dye Night featuring live music by a Grateful Dead tribute called the “Lazy Lightning Band”. This will be from 6 to 9pm at the Harold and Jean Miner Festival Square Hill Stage in downtown Kankakee. This is a free all-ages event with food and drink vendors, a bounce house, face-painting, Bronson’s Color Lab, and fire twirling by Intrinsic Arts. Bring a lawn chair. In the event of rain, the concert would move to the train depot patio.
Momence will host a patriotic, riverfront celebration called “Red, White and Boom” on Friday July 3rd featuring Sensei Steve’s Karate Team Demo at 6pm, live music from The Silhouettes with Bill Dyche on drums at 7pm, followed by a spectacular fireworks display and grand finale at 9pm. Milner Media’s Mike Ruble will MC this event which takes place on Washington Street by the footbridge on the north side of the Kankakee River at Island Park in Momence.
The annual Manteno Fireworks will take place Friday, July 3rd and the Manteno Sportsman’s Club will be open to the public for viewing at 7pm. A $5 entry fee will allow non-members past the gate to watch from the beach and concessions will be available. Lawn chairs and small coolers are allowed, but there is to be no swimming and no glass or smoking on the beach. Live music from The South Side Social Club begins at 7pm.
The Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society will host its next Les Artisans Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, July 4th from 9am to 3pm inside the Expo Center at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds. You’ll find handmade crafts and original art, along with several vintage or unique items. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Admission is a suggested one dollar donation at the door to benefit their mission of preserving local history. More info on the organization at “Bourbonnais History (dot) org”.
A huge celebration for America’s 250th birthday will take place at the Jasper County Fairgrounds in Rensselaer, Indiana on Saturday, July 4th. This all-day event will include car and antique tractor shows, a 5K walk/run, breakfast and a tea party, food vendors, games for the kids, a veteran recognition ceremony, motorcycle ride, cornhole tournament, a beer tent, fish fry, live entertainment, a parade, fireworks at dusk, and so much more. To obtain a full “America 250” schedule of events, visit the “Jasper County 250” page on Facebook.
The annual City of Watseka and Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Parade celebrating America’s 250th Anniversary will step off at 10am from Legion Park on Saturday, July 4th. The parade route is listed on facebook and at “Watseka Chamber (dot) org (slash) Events”. Milner Media radio personality Mike Ruble will be the parade’s emcee.
The Watseka American Legion Post 23 will host a Family Day at Legion Park on Saturday, July 4th from 11am until 4pm. Community members are invited to the park after the Watseka Area Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Parade for fun festivities including live music, food vendors, free kids activities and games, a fun zone with bounce houses, a car show, disc golf tournament, and various Veteran’s Assistance booths. Stick around for an amazing fireworks display at dusk (9pm) from south of the Iroquois County Courthouse. Places to park during the fireworks include the County Administrative Building, the courthouse parking lot, and the Watseka High School parking lot by the softball field.
The City of Kankakee’s Fireworks Celebration will take place Saturday, July 4th at the Kankakee Community College with live music from the Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Kankakee Municipal Band, and the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Gates will open at 4:30pm and admission is $20 per carload. Visit “City Kankakee (dot) IL (dot) gov”.
Shop and support local on Sunday, July 5th at “Kimberly’s Artisan Market”, located in the Grant Park Police Department parking lot on East Taylor Street from 1 to 4pm. This Sunday is an Independence Day celebration with over 50 vendors, delicious food trucks, a free bounce bounce, mini photo sessions, and live music by Jeffery Carroll.
Enjoy “Sandwiches with a Side of Jam” on Wednesday, July 8th from 11:30am until 1pm with live music from John Till. This is a free and family-friendly lunchtime concert series with a rotating schedule of performers and food vendors. It takes place one Wednesday per month throughout the summer at the Festival Square in downtown Kankakee.
The Herscher Lions Club will host its 15th annual “Corn Bowl” on Friday, July 10th. Enjoy roasted sweet corn served with mouth-watering pork sandwiches, brats and hotdogs, fun kids games, and live entertainment from the Velvet Rose Band. Event proceeds will benefit the Herscher Community Legion. The fun starts around 5pm in downtown Herscher.
The Clifton Fun Days festival celebrates 250 years of independence on Friday, July 10th and Saturday, July 11th at Village Park on East 4th Avenue in Clifton. Enjoy village-wide garage sales, shopping and food vendors, live pro wrestling, a beer tent, bounce houses, kids games and barrel rides, bingo, a fish fry, 5K run/walk, a parade, DJ, live music from the South Side Social Club and more. Find the schedule of Facebook.
The Cissna Park Development Board’s next “Shop the Park” event will be from 9am to 1pm on Saturday, July 11th in Cissna Park. Enjoy craft and food vendors, a meet and greet with their school’s Superintendent Mr. Simpson, and live music by Emmalyn Paul.
LoveALatte Coffee’s 5th annual Mini-Golf Fundraiser will take place on Saturday, July 11th from 10am to 1pm at Adventure Commons, behind Northfield Square Mall at 70 Ken Hayes Drive in Bourbonnais. This year the theme will be “Christmas in July”. There will be lunch, prizes, raffles and T-Shirts. Send an email to “LoveALatte Coffee (at) gmail (dot) com” for ticket and sponsorship inquiries.
The Central 5K Memorial Scholarship Foundation will host its 23rd annual “Running to Remember” race in Clifton on Saturday, July 11th at the Village Park. Awards will be given out in several categories for this champion chip-timed race. The registration booth will open at 7:30am and the Run/Walk begins at 8:30am. Kids can participate in a one-mile Run/Walk at 8:45am or a one-block dash that starts after the 5K race is over. This year’s race will honor the memory of Jeff Hanson. For more details, visit the “Central 5K Running to Remember” page on Facebook.
The Village of Manteno will hold its Free Community Shred Day event on Saturday, July 11th from 9 to 11am. Folks can bring their unwanted papers and confidential documents to the ProShred truck parked across from the Leo Hassett Community Center on Main Street, and they will be shredded safely and securely for free.
Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in L’Erable will hold their annual Parish Homecoming Sunday, July 12th on the church grounds 12 miles south of Kankakee and a mile east of Route 45-52 on 1500 East 2710 North Road in Clifton. The day begins with mass at 11am. Chicken and pork chop dinners will be sold from noon until 5pm. A barnyard-style tractor pull demonstration starts at noon and the kiddie tractor pull is at 1pm. They will also have raffles, beer, bingo, snacks and a kids zone.
The Newton County Pun’kin Vine Fair will be held July 13th through the 18th in Kentland, Indiana. Enjoy carnival rides and food vendors, 4-H exhibits, Bingo, live music, grandstand entertainment and more. There’s World Class Professional Big Time Wrestling on Tuesday July 14 at 7pm, an Antique Tractor Parade on Thursday July 16th at 6:30, followed by the IPA Truck and Tractor Pull at 7pm. They have a rodeo Friday, July 17th at 7pm, and don’t miss the demolition derby at 7pm on Saturday, July 18th. More info on facebook and at “Newton County Fair (dot) weebly (dot) com”.
The Iroquois County Fair runs July 14th through 19th near Crescent City. Grandstand entertainment includes the IPA Tractor and Truck Pull on Wednesday July 15th at 6pm, the demolition derby Thursday July 16th at 7:30pm, and the rodeo on Friday July 17th at 8pm. More info can be found at “Iroquois Co Fair (dot) com”.
The Benton County Fair takes place July 14th through the 19th in Boswell, Indiana. Entertainment highlights will include the Rough E Rodeo on Wednesday July 15th at 7pm, the Antique Tractor Parade on Thursday July 16th at 5:45pm, and the IPL Tractor Pull on Friday July 17th at 7pm. This fair is located in an Eastern Time Zone. Visit the “Benton County Fair – Indiana” facebook page for more information.
The Chebanse Lodge of St. Anne will host a Cruise-In on Saturday, July 18th from 4 to 7pm in the Freemasons’ parking lot on South Chestnut Street in Chebanse, across from the Casey’s General Store. Cars, trucks and motorcycles are welcome. There will be hot dogs, baked beans, popcorn and snow cones. Proceeds will help with Coins For Children, scholarships, food banks, women’s shelters and more.
The next “Coffee, Cars & Cigars” event in downtown Kankakee will take place on Sunday, July 19th from 9am until noon at the Harold and Jean Miner Festival Square. Enjoy a relaxed Sunday morning atmosphere with fresh coffee, breakfast options, a local cigar lounge and a car show.
The Manteno American Legion has organized a “Halfway To Christmas” event to make the holidays brighter for those who served and are asking folks to come together as a community on Saturday, July 19th and fill the Manteno Veterans Home with items that bring comfort, joy, and a reminder that they are appreciated and not forgotten. A drive-through drop-off site will be set up from 9am to 3pm near the volunteer entrance in back of the Veterans Home. They hope to receive donated cases of soda pop, jugs of Hawaiian Punch, coffee, individually packaged snack food and treats like chips, candy, snack cakes and cookies. A detailed list of suggested items can be found on the “Manteno American Legion Post 755, Auxiliary, SAL, Legion Riders” facebook page.
The Collaborative Initiative to Revive Kankakee Arts will host its 5th annual “Teen Talent Takeover” on Sunday, July 19th from 3 to 6pm at the CIRKA Building, 183 North Schuyler in downtown Kankakee. Young performers ages 12 to 20 will have a chance to showcase their abilities in a supportive and encouraging environment. Whether your talent lies in music, dance, spoken word, comedy, theater or some other form of creative performance, participants will compete for prizes including an opening performance at the 2026 Estival Festival. This contest is free to attend and to participate. Applications are being accepted until July 3rd. Visit “CIRKA Kankakee (dot) org” for all the details.