SEPTEMBER 20: Administration Office Closed - Our Administration Office at Village Hall will be closed starting at 1:30 pm through the remainder of the day, 9/20.

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SEPTEMBER 20: Administration Office Closed - Our Administration Office at Village Hall will be closed starting at 1:30 pm through the remainder of the day, 9/20.

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PARK DISTRICT INFORMATION

Independence Day Celebration

2023 Yankee Doodle Dash 5K

Start the Independence Day Celebration with our annual tradition, and dash the streets of Wilmette in our dandy 5K!

  • REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. 
  • No on-site registration. Wish our runners luck!

Event Details:

Runners will receive a fabulous event shirt and a participant medal to show off to all your friends. Participants age 21 & up will also enjoy a complimentary beer at the finish line.

Special Appreciation

  • We’d like to thank our Stars & Stripes Sponsor, de Giulio Kitchen Design for sponsoring our dashing event shirts!
  • Special thanks to our Spangled Sponsor, State Farm Agent Nathan Sulack for sponsoring our dandy participant medals!
  • Shoutout to our Dandy Beverage Partners Double Clutch Brewing Co., Fortnight Brewing Co. & Ravinia Brewing Co. for providing complimentary beer at the finish line! Make sure to grab your drink tickets at the ID check table before or after the race.
YDD Partner Thank You Image 2023

NEW THIS YEAR: July 3

Star Spangled Splash!

Event Details: 

  • Date: July 3
  • Time: 11:30 am-1:30 pm
  • Location: Centennial Park
  • Fee: FREE family activities in the park
    • Pool Fee: FREE for residents / daily fee applies for non-residents

Event Schedule:

  • Carnival Games
  • Face Painting
  • Bounce House
  • Confetti “Fireworks Show”
  • & MUCH, MUCH MORE!

Centennial Pools are open 11 am-4 pm on July 3. Residents receive FREE pool access for the day. Daily fee applies for non-residents.

Fun & Fireworks

Event Details:

Enjoy an evening packed with Independence Day Celebration at Gillson Park! We’ll have food vendors, live music, performers and a fireworks show to kick off your 4th a day early. Bags are subject to search. No sparklers allowed.

Event Schedule

  • 5 pm – Nashville Electric
  • 5-8 pm – Roving children’s entertainment (balloon artist, juggler, stilt-walker)
  • 5-10 pm – Food sales (see below for vendors)
  • 7 pm – Jessie White Tumblers
  • 7:30 pm – Spoken Four
  • 9 :30 pm – Fireworks Show

Food & Vendors:

  • Grecian Kitchen
  • Domino’s Pizza
  • Sweet Tooth Donuts
  • Mustard’s Last Stand
  • Jerusalem Pita
  • La Cochinita
  • Just For Fun Novelties

*Note: Cash only event – no ATM available on-site. 

Parking, Pedestrian & Traffic Guidelines:

While our event staff are setting up for all of the festivities, parking will be limited at Gillson Parking Lot for the entire day of July 3. Please plan ahead to utilize ride-sharing and carpools.

Public parking is available for the day at Northwestern Stadium Ryan Field (1501 Central St, Evanston, IL 60208). There is no Pace Bus shuttle to/from the event.

Please note the following changes to the July 3 event entrances and exits:

  • The Gillson Parking Lot entrance at Lake Ave. is for vehicular access only. 
  • Pedestrian access to our Fun & Fireworks event is only available from 3 entries along Michigan Ave.
    1. Pedestrian Walkaway
    2. Washington Ave.
    3. Harbor Dr.

View the area traffic map below for July 3, 2023.

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