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 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”.
A summer edition of Manteno’s townwide garage sales will take place throughout the village this Thursday July 9th, Friday July 10th and Saturday July 11th. Start and end times will vary but most sales are open from 8am to 3pm. A list of addresses can be found on Facebook.
Food Truck Fridays, hosted by the Bourbonnais Township Park District, feature a rotating lineup of food trucks at Perry Farm Park each Friday from 11am to 2pm during the summer months. This provides a place to enjoy the fresh air and an outdoor lunch as you head into the weekend. The next one will be held Friday, July 10th with Jurassic Grill Burgers & Fries. View a list of their future food truck vendors at “BTPD (dot) org”.
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 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 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 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.
Local no-kill animal shelter “New Beginnings For Cats” will be hosting an adoption event and supply drive on Saturday, July 11th from 11am to 3pm at Petco on Route 50 in Bourbonnais. Items needed include paper towels, toilet paper and garbage bags. View their full list of suggested items on the “New Beginnings For Cats” facebook page.
The Veterans Garage has a new venue at 5649 North 5000 East Road in Bourbonnais. In partnership with Farm2Veteran, they are inviting all volunteers, supporters, members and friends to tour the facility and learn about their future plans on Saturday, July 11th at 2pm.
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.
States Attorney Jim Rowe’s “Reel Justice Fishing Club” for kids and adults, in partnership with the Northern Illinois Anglers Association, is a fun outdoor summer activity that is free to attend. The fishing poles, tackle and bait are provided. Parents and guardians are encouraged to come along. They meet again on Wednesday, July 15th from 5pm until 7:30 at Munjoy Ponds, 1199 Cecil in Limestone. The skills focus will be on every species, using live baits and lures. Visit “K3SAO (dot) com (slash) Fish” for more information.
The Manteno Chamber Influencers will host their annual Back to School Bash on Friday, July 17th from 4 to 6pm at the Square on 2nd Street right before the town’s Rockin’ on the Square event. You can bring your kids out for free school supplies and free face-painting before the music begins.
The next Friday Night Concert Series event in Kankakee will be a 90’s Throwback Night on July 17th from 6 to 9pm with a tribute to female artists from the 90’s to today by local band “Cherry Bomb” performing on the Hill Stage at Harold and Jean Miner Festival Square. This free event featuring food trucks, a bar, face-painting, a bounce house and fire-twirling will be combined with a pop-up Cruis’n the Square car show at the train depot.
A Community Shred event will take place on Saturday, July 18th from 10am to 11:30 in the Bourbonnais Upper Grade Center (BUGC) circle drive across from the Bourbonnais Public Library. Safely dispose of sensitive documents for free. They will take up to 5 medium-sized boxes per vehicle.
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 Bourbonnais Church of Christ on Larry Power Road will host its Magnified Vacation Bible School for kids ages 3 through the teens on Saturday, July 18th and Sunday, July 19th from 6 to 8pm both nights. A block party will kick things off on Saturday at 4pm followed by games, music, crafts, snacks, and more. Register your kids online to experience fun, friends, faith and adventure at “BB Church of Christ (dot) com”.
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.
The Lake Village Presbyterian Church will host Illumination Station Vacation Bible School from 9:30am to 12:30pm on July 27th, July 28th, July 29th and July 30th at the Lake Township Community Hall and Park at 9728 North 300 West in Lake Village, Indiana. This free program will offer end of summer fun for all ages while learning about God, science, sharing and being kind. Kids will also get to learn some new songs, meet new friends, act silly, dress up, do creative crafts and enjoy yummy snacks. Call the church for more information at (219) 992-3466 or email “LV Presbyterian (at) SBC Global (dot) net”.
AUGUST
To help children and families prepare for a healthy start to the school year, Hippocrates Medical Clinic will host its 9th annual Back to School Health Fair on Saturday, August 1st from 9am until 1pm at 606 East Court Street in Kankakee. Free school physicals and vision screenings will be offered along with wellness education, valuable information and resources from local nonprofit organizations. Families who attend will be able to connect with community partners, learn about available support services, and receive guidance on staying healthy throughout the year.
The Northern Mustang Corral invites you out to a day at the park during its 35th annual Mustang and Ford Car Show, taking place on Sunday, August 2nd at Perry Farm Park in Bourbonnais. Enjoy the cars, music, door prizes and camaraderie. Showtime begins at 8am with the trophy presentation at 2:30pm. Visit “Northern Mustang Corral (dot) org” for vehicle registration information. This will be happening rain or shine.
A tornado relief benefit for the residents of Lake Village will be held on Saturday, August 8th from 5 to 11pm at the Lugene Links Golf Course, 8687 North 300 West Road in Lake Village, Indiana. This event is called “Stronger Together” and will feature a cash bar, raffle baskets, auctions, a 50/50 raffle, donation dinner, and live music by the VanVleet Brothers. Proceeds will go to the Newton County Long-Term Recovery Group.
A Fish Fry Fundraiser will take place at the Manteno Sportsman’s Club on Friday, August 28th from 5 to 7pm with a cash bar, raffle baskets, split-the-pot and live music by The Fedoras. Nothing Bundt Cakes will also be there while supplies last. Presale tickets are required for entry and they are available now at the Manteno Public Library.