Three days of thunderstorms forced Wilmette to cancel its Star-Spangled Splash and Fun & Fireworks celebration on Friday, July 3, for the first time in a quarter century. The event at Gillson Park typically draws tens of thousands of guests, according to the Wilmette Park District.

Families who showed up anyway found the party had moved indoors. All three scheduled bands relocated to The Wilmette Theatre, where they performed for what The Record North Shore described as a spirited crowd.

The Winnetka Firecracker 5K along the Green Bay Trail was scheduled to proceed at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, July 4, as a rain-or-shine event.

Across the North Shore, the holiday weekend was a patchwork. Glencoe's Party in the Park at Lakefront Park went forward Friday evening with fireworks pushed up to 8:30 p.m. to beat incoming storms. Winnetka's fireworks launched on schedule Saturday night, though all pre-show activities at Duke Childs Field were canceled due to soggy park conditions. Highland Park postponed its Independence Fest entirely; city officials said they would announce a makeup date later in 2026.

What's next for active families

Summer programming is running full speed despite the wet start. Three junior sailing programs are active along the lakefront: Sheridan Shore Sailing School at Wilmette Harbor, a program with more than 75 years of history led by Executive Director Skip Dieball; Glencoe Park District's Aquatics & Sailing Camp at Glencoe Beach; and Winnetka Park District's Learn to Sail Camp for ages 7–15.

Wilmette Park District's summer adult leagues, including 16-inch men's softball and co-ed beach volleyball, are underway. Game schedules are posted on the Wilmette Park District's TeamSideline page.

Registration opened Tuesday, July 1, for the 41st annual North Shore Century bike ride on Sunday, September 20. The ride starts and finishes at the Lakeview Center at Gillson Park, 800 Gillson Park Drive, Wilmette. Riders choose among 100-, 62-, 50-, or 25-mile routes, with the Quarter Century looping through Wilmette, Winnetka, Glencoe, and Kenilworth.

"We're very pleased to be able to return to the Lakeview Center in Gillson Park for our home base," said Barbara Niehus, North Shore Century chair. The ride is capped at 2,400 cyclists and drew more than 2,200 last year.

Registration is $50 online through Saturday, September 19, $65 day-of, and $15 for youth 17 and under. Parking is not available at Gillson Park on ride day; downtown Wilmette surface lots are free on Sundays.