This year’s Last Fling will look different from it has in years past. For one thing, it will be free.

There will still be lots of music, kids’ activities, a carnival and the parade, but unlike years past, there will be no big-name national act headlining the event.

That’s in part because the Last Fling will be an end-of-summer block party-style community event, said Danielle Tufano, public relations and entertainment chairperson for the Naperville Jaycees’ Last Fling.

Last Fling will be held from 5-10 p.m. Sept. 3, noon-10 p.m. Sept. 4-5 and noon-6 p.m. Sept. 6 along Jackson Avenue between Main and Eagle streets in Naperville.

“We’re down to one stage and we’ve booked some really, really great bands,” she said. “And it’s free admission. That’s something that’s relatively new for us. We listened to feedback we got in 2019 and we’ve taken away all admission fees.

“Some of the biggest feedback we got was that it was a struggle for some families to come and pay the $10 admission fee. While our goal is to raise money for nonprofits, we want to go back to our roots and make this a community event.”

Food, drinks and carnival tickets will be the only items families will have to pull the wallets out for. There will be donation buckets throughout the fest. The Jaycees disperse the funds to Naperville-area nonprofits.

“We’re really hoping this will help families during a difficult time come and interact with us and have some family fun free of charge,” she said.

Throughout the Labor Day weekend, fest-goers will hear music from many popular Chicago-area bands; including The Boy Band Night and 7th Heaven on Sept. 3.

“If you’re a fan of ‘The Bachelorette’ or ‘The Bachelor in Paradise,’ Kenny (Braasch) the boy band manager, that’s his boy band that they always talk about on the show. He’s actually going to be at our event on Friday with his band.”

Other acts include Hi Infidelity, The Ron Burgundys and Whiskey Romance on Sept. 4; Sixteen Candles, The Hair Band Night and Motown Nation on Sept. 5; and Libido Funk Circus, The Country Night and Rick Lindy with The Wild Ones on Sept. 6.

“We have everything from rock to country to Motown to yacht rock and I think people will really enjoy the variety of music all weekend long,” she said.

The family area will be near the Riverwalk Amphitheatre and will feature activities like senior bingo, Acrodazzle stilt walking, juggling and balloon animal making, a bake-off competition, a Princess visit, a performance by the McNulty Irish Dancers and a business expo, she said.

“We have a cotton candy eating contest, a cupcake eating contest and a spaghetti eating contest, a water balloon and sack race and a reptile show,” she said. “We have a carnival all weekend for people to enjoy with their families as well.”

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 5, patrons with family members with special needs get free, no-wait seating on rides.

The Last Fling parade will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 6.

“We’re so proud to say that the Edward Hospital front line workers are the grand marshals for the parade,” she said. “They’ve done so much to keep our community safe and healthy … and we wanted to show how appreciate we are of everything they’ve done for our community.”

The parade will feature the usual community organizations and businesses.

She hopes that families will come to Last Fling to enjoy a last blast of summer.

“People have been cooped up for a long time and families are eager to get out and have some fun,” she said. “The Naperville Jaycees worked really hard to try and find a way to put on an event that is safe and affordable for people to come back to a community event and have some fun, whether it be enjoying live music again or bringing your family out to the family attraction area of having some fun at the carnival or experiencing the business expo. We wanted to put on a community event where everybody can have fun.”

Annie Alleman is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.