Redeeming Life Ministries is still providing essential supplies for anyone in Kankakee County who was affected by the recent tornado. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm offering food, diapers, hygiene items, cleaning supplies, totes and more. If you are in need, do not hesitate to stop by at 2400 Waldron Road, Kankakee.
(NOW – May 30th) The Bourbonnais Public Library invites you to join the “Love Your Library Scavenger Hunt”. It’s a celebration of community connection and the places that make the village so great. Words have been hidden at a selection of community spots and participants will visit each one to find these words and unscramble the message for a chance to win a prize basket. Visit the library during the month of May to pick up your game sheet and begin your hunt. Your cards will need to be turned in by May 31st. For more details, visit “Bourbonnais Library (dot) org”.
(April 1-May 31, 2026) Your local Menards home improvement store is again serving as a drop site for a local Humane Association for two full months! Located on Christine Dr in Bradley… Menards offers a wide variety of pet supplies that will be donated to a Humane Association including food, treats, feeders, collars, beds, storage containers, mats and so much more that can be found in the Pet & Wildlife Department for immediate donation. There is a large collection box near the exit doors at Menards to place donations until May 31, 2026.
(NOW – June 18th) The American Red Cross has recently experienced a severe blood shortage. You can help out by donating at an upcoming local blood drive. These will be held on Thursday, June 4th from 11am to 4pm at Northfield Square Mall in Bourbonnais / Friday, June 5th from 11am to 3pm in the Bourbonnais Municipal Center at 700 Main Street Northwest / Tuesday, June 9th from 11am to 5pm at Northfield Square Mall / Friday, June 12th from noon to 5pm at the Bourbonnais Fire Department / and Thursday, June 18th from 11am to 5pm at Northfield Square Mall. Find a blood drive near you at “Red Cross Blood (dot) org”.
(NOW – July 31st) 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”.
MAY
The Summerfield of Bradley will host a Neighborhood Garage Sale from 8am to 4pm each day on Thursday May 28th, Friday May 29th, and Saturday May 30th. This neighborhood is located about one mile east of Northfield Square Mall and Aspen Ridge Golf Course. Just follow the signs on Larry Power Road heading towards Momence.
Community-wide garage sales will be taking place on the west side of Kankakee this Thursday May 28th, Friday May 29th and Saturday May 30th. Most of these sales will be open from 8am until 4pm.
The Aroma Park Area Garage Sales are being held Friday, May 29th and Saturday, May 30th. A list of sales can be found on the “Village of Aroma Park” facebook page and maps can be picked up at the Village Hall, Ryan’s Pier and Berkot’s.
The Bourbonnais Township Park District will host its annual “Family Night Out” at Perry Farm Park on Friday, May 29th from 6 to 8pm. The kickoff event of the summer will feature inflatables, live entertainment, carnival-style games, face painting, food trucks and more. The cost to attend Family Night Out is $10 per carload or walking group.
Downtown Kankakee will host a North Sunset Stroll on Friday, May 29th in the 200 block of North Schuyler Avenue, in front of Paramount. The fun begins at 6pm with adult beverages, food vendors, a mobile cigar lounge, Intrinsic Arts fire show, and live music from local band “Not Yet”.
The Tyjuan Hagler Foundation’s 18th Annual “Kidz-Can-Do” Football and Cheerleading Camp will be taking place Saturday, May 30th from 8:30am to 3pm at Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee. The camp is free to all youth and spots are limited, so register today at “Tyjuan Hagler Foundation (dot) org”. This is not a school function.
The 3rd annual “Essexfest” will take place on Saturday, May 30th from 9am to 9pm in downtown Essex. There will be food trucks, a vendor’s market, a car show, petting zoo, a kids bike parade, pie-eating contest, face painting, live music and more. Mike Tomano’s band “The Baked Potatoes” will perform in the pavilion at Dave’s Park at 5pm.
The Village of Manteno will hold its Free Community Shred Day event on Saturday, May 30th 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.
The Kankakee Economic and Community Development Agency will be hosting a Neighborhood Cookout this Saturday, May 30th from 1 to 4pm on the grounds of the Bill Spriggs Civic Auditorium on South 8th Avenue in Kankakee. Enjoy food, a reptile show, fellowship with resources from community agencies, blood pressure checks from Riverside, live music from the “Champagne Experience”, and activities for all ages including one hosted by the Kankakee Public Library. More details are available by clicking “Community Outreach” under the Media/News tab at “ECDA (dot) City Kankakee (dash) IL (dot) gov”.
Genesis Community Ministries will hold their third annual International Festival on Saturday, May 30th from 2 until 6pm at 2100 East Maple Street in Kankakee. With a theme of “unity”, this event will celebrate culture, connection and community spirit with food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, and live entertainment by performers such as the Sax Preacher and Faith Howard from Chicago, and Kankakee’s own Andrew David, who has become a well-known Chicago street performer.
JUNE
The Watseka Library is inviting you to stop in on Monday, June 1st between 9am and 5pm for their “Plant a Seed, Read” kickoff day. You can learn how to sign up for the summer reading challenge and pick up your registration prize while enjoying games, crafts, delicious treats and a movie. Some surprise guests may drop by as well.
The second Manteno Cruise Night car show of the season will take place Tuesday, June 2nd on Main Street in downtown Manteno. All makes and models are welcome. Enjoy free family fun from 6 to 9pm with cool cars, 50’s music, door prizes, and a split-the-pot raffle.
The first “Lunchtime Bites & Beats on Festival Street” event for 2026 will take place Wednesday, June 3rd from 11am to 1pm at The Grove, 700 Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais with vendors on-site selling pizza and chicken sandwiches. Live entertainment will be provided by local musician Todd Hazelrigg. Hosted by the Village of Bourbonnais, these weekly midday escapes will continue throughout the summer months, offering a place to grab lunch each Wednesday from delicious food trucks while enjoying live acoustic music and soaking in the summer atmosphere at the village’s favorite gathering spot. Admission is free.
The next “Manteno Market at the Square” will be held on Wednesday, June 3rd from 4 to 8pm. You’ll find food trucks, unique local vendors, fresh produce, farm-raised meats, live entertainment and some positive community vibes at the Square on Second in downtown Manteno.
States Attorney Jim Rowe’s “Reel Justice Fishing Club” for kids and adults, held 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 will meet next on Wednesday, June 3rd from 5pm until 7:30 at Saint Anne Ponds, at the north end of Second Avenue in Saint Anne. The skills focus will be on every species, using live baits and lures. Visit “K3SAO (dot) com (slash) Fish” for more information.
Local no-kill animal shelter “New Beginnings For Cats” will host a family Fun Night on Thursday, June 4th from 6 to 9pm in the Municipal Center at 700 Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais. Enjoy a coloring contest, puzzles, card games, bingo and more. Prizes will be awarded and food provided. Admission at the door is $5 per person or $10 for a family of four, plus another $2 for each additional kid. The money raised during this event will be used to care for the cats living at the shelter.
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 first one this season is on Thursday, June 4th featuring a “Heroes and Villains” theme, Steve Betz, horn section, and Oscar’s Meats will be on-site. Remember to bring a lawn chair.
The Village of Bradley Community Garage Sale will be held on Friday, June 5th and Saturday, June 6th. Bradley residents may sign up their sales until May 22nd at the Village of Bradley Community Development Building at 111 North Michigan Avenue. For info, call (815) 936-5124.
The 25th and final Ride4Life cancer run to raise funds for the American Cancer Society will take place on Saturday, June 6th with registration from 10am until noon at the Manteno Sportsman’s Club. This event will happen rain or shine, with a gun raffle drawing, a one-thousand dollar grand prize drawing, and music by NFP Rock Productions.
The Friday Night Concert Series returns on June 5th with Bluegrass Night, featuring live music from Todd Hazelrigg and the River Valley Rangers at the Harold and Jean Miner Festival Square Hill Stage in downtown Kankakee. These Friday night events are from 6 to 9pm with rotating food and drink vendors on site. Bring a lawn chair. In the event of rain, the event would be moved to the train depot patio.
The next “Cruis’n the Square” car show in downtown Kankakee will be happening on Saturday, June 6th from 6 to 8pm at the Farmers Market site and South Schuyler Avenue. This family-friendly event will feature cool custom and vintage vehicles, food vendors, and live entertainment at the gazebo with local musician Todd Hazelrigg. This is free to attend.
Join the Bradley American Legion Auxiliary Post 766 for an afternoon of Auxiliary Bingo to raise funds for the legion on Sunday, June 7th at the Kankakee Elks Country Club on Bittersweet Drive in Saint Anne. The fun starts at 1pm. Multiple rounds will be played with chances to win big and take home some amazing prizes. The first two cards are $10 and additional cards are $3 each. Receive a free card if you bring in an item for “Project Ruck Sack”, a program benefitting children and youth. Items needed include coloring or activity books, 32-count Crayola crayons and Crayola colored pencils, bubbles, Play-Doh, sidewalk chalk, pens, card games, notebooks, journals, small stuffies and fidget toys. More info on the “Bradley American Legion Post 766 Auxiliary” facebook page.
Enjoy “Sandwiches with a Side of Jam” on Wednesday, June 10th from 11:30am to 1pm with live music from Emily Chloe Quinn. 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.
Join the Village of Bourbonnais at The Grove on Thursday, June 11th for “Dinner & Movie on the Green”. Food trucks will be on site at 6pm with dinner and dessert available for purchase. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy a free family-friendly movie under the stars. They will show the 2025 version of “Lilo & Stitch”, and the film begins at 7pm. The Grove is located at 700 Main Street Northwest in Bourbonnais.
The Bradley Public Library invites you to attend its “Summer Reading Parking Lot Party” on Friday, June 12th from 6 to 8pm. Registration is not required for this annual all-ages event with food, bounce houses, a plant swap, face painting, games and more. This will be held outside the library at 296 North Fulton Avenue in Bradley.
Peotone Community Garage Sales will be held Friday, June 12th and Saturday, June 13th. Maps will be available at the Village Hall on June 8th. Peotone residents who would like their sales to be included on the map must register by June 3rd at “Village of Peotone (dot) com”.
The Cissna Park Development Board will host “Shop The Park” on the second Saturday of each month, June through September. This is a showcase of local quality and specialty shops and it takes place at the Village Park on Second Street in Cissna Park. The first one this season will be on Saturday, June 13th. The “Class of ‘27 Breakfast with donuts and coffee will start at 8:30am, then from 9am until 1pm you can enjoy food trucks, craft vendors, and live music by “Just Another Janice”.
The Manteno Sportsman’s Club Women’s Auxiliary will host a Women’s Expo on Saturday, June 13th from 10am until 3pm and all are welcome to attend. Have some fun while supporting small businesses, checking out their beautiful handmade goods, shopping local vendors, and trying to win raffle baskets. This will be held at the Manteno Sportsman’s Club.
The Riverside Cancer Institute’s Relay For Life of Kankakee County will be taking place on Saturday, June 13th from 2 to 10pm at The Grove in Bourbonnais with games, music, food vendors, a kid zone and other family-friendly activities. Funds raised will help the American Cancer Society in its mission to improve and save more lives from cancer. Register today at “Relay For Life (dot) org (slash) Kankakee IL”.
Project Headspace and Timing will host “Heroes, Hogs and Hot Rods” on Sunday, June 14th at the Square on Second and Main Street in downtown Manteno. This annual community festival to celebrate our heroes will take place from noon to 8pm with a car show, barbeque and strongman competitions, bean bag tournament, craft vendors and food trucks, live entertainment, a mental health and community resource fair, fishing tournament, and more. Admission is free for this family-friendly festival, but a $10 wristband will be required for outdoor bar service. For more information, visit: “Project Headspace and Timing (dot) org”.
The Lowell Chamber of Commerce invites you to visit Lowell, Indiana and the surrounding area for a Community Wide Garage Sale. This will be on Thursday June 18th, Friday June 19th and Saturday June 20th. To have your sale included in the print version of their map, you must sign up by June 1st. Details on the Lowell Chamber’s facebook page.
The “Small Town USA” Village of Bonfield Celebration of America’s 250th birthday will take place at the Bonfield Park on Friday, June 19th and Saturday, June 20th and it’s free to attend. Enjoy two days of fun with live entertainment, tractor pulls, parades, fireworks, a beer tent, car show, a kids fishing derby and other children’s activities, mud volleyball and more. More details and an entertainment schedule can be found on the “Village of Bonfield Celebration & Tractor Pull” facebook page.
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 “Small Town USA Parade” will take place on Saturday, June 20th as part of the two-day Village of Bonfield Celebration. Line up is at 9am and the parade steps off at 10:30. They’re still looking for floats, bands, vehicles, organizations, tractors, golf carts and more to participate. If you are interested, please call Sherry Parks at (815) 932-9771 or visit the “Village of Bonfield Celebration & Tractor Pull” page on Facebook.
Take a journey through Momence history on Saturday, June 20th during the city’s “Momence Museum Day” celebration. From noon to 4pm you can explore the Graham Historic House and Museum on Dixie Highway, the Earl Schaufener Farm Museum, the Train Depot Military Museum, and the Mount Airy Little Red Schoolhouse on West 5th Street.
The Merchant Street Art Gallery of Artists with Autism will be hosting its annual Run for Autism on Father’s Day, Sunday June 21st at beautiful Cobb Park in Kankakee. Check-in will be at 7:30am and the 5K run and 2-mile walk begins at 8am. Call or text (815) 685-9057 to volunteer. For registration information, visit “Merchant Street Art Gallery (dot) org”.
The Bradley American Legion and its Auxiliary Post 766 will be hosting daily Bingo at this year’s Bourbonnais Friendship Festival. Cash prizes will be awarded and you’ll be able to join in the fun and win big for just 50 cents a card per game. Bingo begins on Wednesday June 24th at 7pm, Thursday June 25th at 5pm, Friday June 26th at 4pm, and on Saturday June 27th at 2pm. It wraps up each evening at 10pm.
The Kankakee Kultivators Garden Club will host its signature event, the “Town and Country Garden Tour and Artisan Faire” on Thursday, June 25th at Small Memorial Park in Kankakee. The theme is “Liberty in Full Bloom”, celebrating America’s 250th birthday. The Artisan Faire will be free to attend and open to the public from 8:30am to 3pm. The Garden Tour runs until 4pm, will visit 8 area gardens and requires a $30 ticket to participate. This includes a boxed lunch. You can purchase these tickets at various locations, including Tholen’s Landscape and Garden Center in Bourbonnais, and Busse & Rieck in Kankakee. A portion of proceeds will fund scholarships for area horticulture students attending KCC.
The Bourbonnais Firefighter’s Association’s 51st annual Fish Fry will be held in the pavilion and concession stand at the Bourbonnais Friendship Festival on Friday, June 26th from 11am to 8pm. The proceeds will help fund Paramedic Education scholarships for future first responders.
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