MAY
The Illinois-based nonprofit organization, “Warriors Walk” is dedicated to bringing together a network of VFWs, American Legions, businesses, schools and community members to combat veteran suicide. You can join the fight on Saturday, September 13th when they host their 6th annual “Warriors Walk Ruck” to raise suicide awareness. This will take place at New Lenox Commons on Veterans Parkway in New Lenox with registration opening at 8am. Walk from 1 to 20 miles; the distance is up to you and it’s free to participate. A post-ruck afterparty will take place with military vehicles, activities, raffles and vendors. There will also be live music, a bounce house and food provided. Funds raised will go to veteran suicide prevention and mental health initiatives through the Headstrong Project. Milner Media is a proud sponsor of this event. For more details and to register visit warriorswalk-IL.org
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In collaboration with King Music and The Dave King Memorial Music Fund, organizers of the Merchant Street Music Fest will award a Music Education Scholarship at this year’s fest on Saturday, July 26th. The award is for 8 free weeks of music lessons. This is for students entering grades 5 through 12 in the 2025/26 school year. There will be two age categories. Applications are being accepted through Saturday, May 31st and they can be found online at merchantstreetmusicfest.com
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The Summerfield of Bradley will hold a three-day Neighborhood Garage Sale on Saturday May 31st. from 8am to 4pm each day. This neighborhood is located about a mile east of Northfield Square Mall and Aspen Ridge Golf Course. Just follow the signs along Larry Power Road in Bradley.
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Some community-wide Garage Sales will be held on the west side of Kankakee on Saturday May 31st. You’ll find sales located on South 4th, 5th and 6th Streets, Foley and Curtis, South May, West Vanmeter and more.
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The Community Church of Holiness will host a Rummage Sale Saturday May 31st from 9am until 2pm both days at 481 North Harrison Avenue in Kankakee. There will be winter and household items, children’s books, clothing and more at reasonable prices.
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The Bourbonnais Township Park District will host their annual “Family Night Out” at Perry Farm Park on Friday, May 30th. There will be face painting, inflatables, games, food, fun and more. The cost is $10 per carload and the gates open at 6pm.
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Downtown Kankakee will host an evening to kick off the summer season on Friday, May 30th with another “Sunset Stroll” from 6 to 10pm on North Schuyler Avenue. There will be live music from “Mothpoint” and the “South Side Social Club”, along with a taco truck, a pizza truck and other local vendors. You’ll enjoy great community vibes while the sun sets against the backdrop of Kankakee’s historic downtown area.
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Your local Menards home improvement store is currently serving as a drop site for a local Humane Association. Their Pet & Wildlife Department at Menards offers a wide variety of pet supplies including food, treats, feeders, collars, beds, storage containers, mats and more that can be purchased in store for immediate donation. You’ll find a large collection box near the exit doors. Our local Menards is located at 1260 Christine Drive in Bradley. Their Pet Supplies Drive is running now through the end of May.
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The Salvation Army of Kankakee will host a Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, May 31st from 9am to 11am at 148 North Harrison Avenue in Kankakee. They’ll have pancakes, bacon, potatoes, coffee and milk. The cost is $10 per person and this money will fund a trip for the kids in their after-school program to visit Camp Wonderland in Wisconsin.
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Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet will host their 3rd annual “Glazin’ the Trail” 5K family fun run/walk on Saturday, May 31st on the campus of Kankakee Community College. Beginning at 9am, walk or run, eat donuts and have some fun while supporting the programs and services provided by Catholic Charities in Kankakee County. To register, visit “Race Roster (dot) com” and type “Glazin’ the Trail” into the search bar.
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Enjoy music, food and vendors at “Spring Fest 2025”, happening on Saturday, May 31st from 11am to 4pm on the 200 block of East Main Street in downtown Hoopeston. For more info, check visithoopeston.com
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The Saint Anne Community Garage Sales will be taking place on Saturday, May 31st. There are no maps this year, but you can find information posted on the “Village of St. Anne, IL” Facebook page and on the event calendar at villageofstanne.com This event will take place again on August 15th and 16th.
JUNE
A Kankakee area kayak and canoe club, the “Potawatomi Paddlers Association” will sponsor a kayak training class on Sunday, June 1st at Lake Manteno from 9am until 4pm. The class will cover all aspects of kayak paddling on lakes, and it will be led by experienced kayaker John Chase. The fee is $40 for adults or $30 for those 18 and under. Visit the club’s website to register at kankakeeriverppa.org
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The Community Arts Council of Kankakee County will host their annual “Strawberry Jazz Festival” on Sunday, June 1st from 11am to 4pm at Northfield Square Mall in Bradley. There will be artists and crafters, music, food trucks and lots of fun. For more information, visit communityartscouncil.org or find them on facebook.
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Local veterans’ organization “Project Headspace and Timing” will host their annual “Heroes, Hogs & Hot Rods” community festival to celebrate our heroes on Sunday, June 1st in downtown Manteno on Main Street and the Square on 2nd from noon until 8pm. With outdoor bar service and free entry, this family-friendly event will feature live music, food trucks, craft vendors, a car show, strongman and BBQ competitions, a bean bag tournament, Mental Health & Community Resource Fair, an Air Force simulator and more. Denny Case will emcee the stage. For more information, visit projectheadspaceatndiming.org
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The Manteno Sons of the American Legion Squadron Post 755 are selling raffle tickets at $20 a piece for a chance to win a 2-night getaway at Blue Chip Casino and Spa. Only 500 tickets will be sold and the drawing will take place on Sunday, June 1st at 5pm. You need not be present to win. Tickets are available now through the American Legion bartenders at 117 North Walnut Street in Manteno.
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Stroll through rows of vintage and custom vehicles, chat with other car enthusiasts, enjoy food vendors, 50/50 raffles, prize giveaways and the vibrant small town atmosphere at the next Manteno Cruise Night on Tuesday, June 3rd from 6 to 9pm on North Main Street.
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The Village of Bourbonnais will host their next “Lunchtime Bites & Beats on Festival Street” event on Wednesday, June 4th from 11am to 1pm. These weekly outdoor events at The Grove are free for the public to attend and they feature food trucks and live tunes to enjoy while on your lunch break. Shelby Ryan will provide the music for the June 4th event, and there will be pizza and lobster food trucks available that day.
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States Attorney Jim Rowe’s “Reel Justice Fishing Club” for kids and adults, in partnership with the Northern Illinois Anglers Association, is free to attend, parents and guardians are encouraged to come along, and fishing poles, tackle and bait are provided. The next meeting will be from 5pm to 7:30 on Wednesday, June 4th at Heiland Lakes on Route 17 in Saint Anne with a skills focus on bass, gills and catfish, using lures and live bait. Visit k3sao.com/fish for more information.
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Join the Bourbonnais Township Park District for the return of “Food Truck Fridays”, every Friday afternoon during the months of June, July and August from 11am to 2pm at Perry Farm Park with a different food truck each week. The first one of the season will be on Friday, June 6th with “Pasta La Vista”. Visit BTPD.org to see future food trucks.
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The local 4-H will host a Community Fun Day on Saturday, June 7th with a water slide bounce house, food vendors, face painting, craft vendors, raffle baskets and a reptile show. This will be a Community Garden Fundraiser, taking place from 11am to 4pm at the 5th Avenue Community Garden in Kankakee. Just look for the big flower pot. All proceeds will go to the 5th Avenue Garden Revitalization Project.
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The 24th annual Ride4Life cancer run will be happening rain or shine on Saturday, June 7th at the Manteno Sportsmen’s Club. Registration will be from 10am until noon. There will be hats and shirts for sale, a $1,000 grand prize drawing, and gun raffle drawing tickets sold separately. All proceeds from this event will benefit the American Cancer Society.
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The Village of Manteno will host a Community Shred Day on Saturday, June 7th. A shred truck will be located in the parking lot across the street from the Leo Hassett Community Center on North Main Street from 9 until 11am to safely and securely shred your unwanted papers and confidential documents. This service is free.
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The Village of Bourbonnais encourages residents of all ages to step away from the screens and into the sunshine with an electronics-free afternoon of fun on Sunday, June 8th during their “Unplug & Play at The Grove” event from 1 to 4pm. Bring your family and a picnic basket to The Grove in Bourbonnais where you can relax, connect, and play a variety of lawn games and activities, including bags and giant Jenga. No batteries or Wi-Fi required for this free outdoor family-oriented event.
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Wright in Kankakee will be celebrating the anniversary of Frank Lloyd Wright’s birthday on Sunday, June 8th at the B. Harley Bradley House at 701 South Harrison Avenue in Kankakee. His first Prairie Design house will be open to the public for free from 2 to 4pm with cake and punch in honor of what would have been the architect’s 158th birthday.
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The Tri Chevy Association’s 53rd Annual Peotone Swap Meet will take place on Sunday, June 8th at the Will County Fairgrounds in Peotone. The Midwest’s largest one-day swap meet and car display will be open to the public from 7am to 3pm, rain or shine. Spectator admission is $5 for adults and free for kids ages 15 and under. Head to peotoneswapmeet.com for further information.
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The next “Dinner & Movie on the Green” event hosted by the Village of Bourbonnais will be held on Thursday, June 12th and they’ll be showing “Inside Out 2” at 7pm with closed captioning available. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets along to enjoy this free family-friendly movie at The Grove, located along Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais. The event begins at 6pm with a pizza vendor on site and a dessert truck available.
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The American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Kankakee County will be presented by the Riverside Cancer Institute on Saturday, June 14th from 2 to 10pm in The Grove at Goselin Park on Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais. It’s the largest, most inspiring, and supportive cancer fundraising event on the planet. Visit relayforlife.org/kankakeeil to register, or to gather additional event information
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The Bourbonnais Friendship Festival will hold their annual Kids Cane Pole Fishing Derby for those 12 and under on Saturday, June 28th from 9am to noon. Registration begins at 8:30am at Municipal Center Pond.
JULY
The Bourbonnais Grove Historical Society will host their Les Artisans Arts and Crafts Fair on Friday, July 4th from 9am to 3pm in the Expo Center at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds. There will be dozens of artists and fine crafters offering handmade items and original art, along with local honey, jams and jellies, baked goods and more. You can also meet local authors and artists. There will be food for sale, beverages from Love A Latte will be available to sip while you shop, and Sweet Darren’s will be offering homemade ice cream, A suggested one-dollar donation at the door will help the historical society to fund this event in the future. Visit bourbonnaishistory.org for more information.
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A summer edition of the Manteno Garage Sales will take place on Thursday July 10th, Friday July 11th and Saturday July 12th, with most sales running from 8am to 3pm each day.
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The 3rd Annual “Churches United in the Park” will take place Saturday, July 12th from 1 to 6:30pm with fun for all ages at the Bird Park Band Shell along West Court Street in Kankakee. There will be live Gospel music, free barbeque and bounce houses. This event is free to attend.
AUGUST
The Northern Mustang Corral will host their 34th Annual Mustang and Ford Car Show at Perry Farm Park in Bourbonnais on Sunday, August 3rd. Enjoy the cars, food, music and door prizes. Registration is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the event. Show time is 8am, judging starts at 11am, and the trophy presentation will begin at 2:30pm. This will be happening rain or shine. For more, visit northernmustangcorral.org, find them on Facebook, or email stang255@comcast.net
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The Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet golf outing fundraiser, “A Swing and a Prayer” will take place on Tuesday, August 26th at Cog Hill Golf and Country Club in Lemont. Rain or shine, this will be a day filled with golf, food and drinks, a raffle, silent auction and lots of fun. Registration opens at 7:30am and the shotgun start will be at 9am. A cocktail hour starts at 2pm, followed by dinner. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. Funds raised with this event will help the homeless, hungry, lonely, and poverty-stricken among us. More details are available at catholiccharitiesjoliet.org/swing
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