Joliet, IL – Residents across Will County will have several free opportunities to explore local history, nature and live entertainment July 16-18, with programs hosted by the Forest Preserve District of Will County in Crest Hill, Joliet, Monee Township, Plainfield and Romeoville.
According to the Forest Preserve District of Will County, the week’s lineup begins Thursday, July 16, with BYOB Bingo from 6-8 p.m. at Prairie Bluff Preserve in Crest Hill. Adults ages 21 and older are invited to enjoy outdoor bingo, socializing and prizes. Guests may bring their own dinner, snacks and beverages, including beer or wine.
On Friday, July 17, the district will celebrate the upcoming Route 66 Centennial during Kickin’ It at the Iron Works from 4-7 p.m. at the Joliet Iron Works Historic Site. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of the historic industrial complex while enjoying live blacksmith demonstrations, historic photographs and stories shared by Forest Preserve staff.
Also on Friday, Monee Reservoir will host the Surf-N-Turf Concert from 5-8 p.m., featuring food trucks, lawn games, kayaking and live music from The StingRays, performing hits from the 1950s through the 1970s. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or enjoy the concert from the water.
Saturday, July 18, features Lake Renwick Migratory Bird Viewing from 8 a.m. to noon at the Lake Renwick Heron Rookery Nature Preserve in Plainfield. Visitors can observe nesting herons, egrets, cormorants and bald eagles during the preserve’s controlled-access nesting season while staff and volunteers answer questions.
The weekend concludes with Native Illinois History and Contemporary Issues from 1-2:15 p.m. Saturday at Isle a la Cache Museum in Romeoville. Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Dr. Dorene Wiese will explore Native American history in Illinois and the ongoing contributions of Native communities through storytelling, music, dance and art. Registration is required by Thursday, July 16.
