New summer concert series opening at Naper Settlement

Buckwheat Zydeco will be performing at Naper Settlement's new Naper Nights concert series July 28.

Ravinia, eat your heart out.

Naper Settlement's new concert series, Naper Nights, offers a chill place to spread a blanket and catch some local and national bands over three weekends this summer with performers including The Smithereens, Buckwheat Zydeco and Al Stewart.

"Naper Settlement is such a beautiful place to have an outdoor concert series with our landscaping and under the stars," said Donna DeFalco, marketing and sales representative. "It makes you feel like you're in a beautiful park far away from civilization, but yet you're right in the middle of Naperville."

Naper Nights promises the atmosphere of the bigger celebrations like Last Fling and Ribfest, but without all the crowds, said Lauren Visher, special events coordinator.

"It's going to be a great summer event for everyone to come to," Visher said. "It's definitely a Ravinia-style feel where there's food and drink available for purchase. I'm excited to provide that opportunity for the community to have fun and just relax."

Concerts take place on both Friday and Saturday the fourth weekends of June, July and August. Local acts will take the stage on Friday, followed by national bands on Saturday.

The series opens Friday, June 22, with Beatles tribute band American English.

On Saturday, June 23, the 1980s rock band The Smithereens, known for such tunes as "A Girl Like You" and "Blood and Roses," will perform.

In July, Led Zeppelin tribute band Kashmir performs Friday, July 27.

Buckwheat Zydeco takes the stage on Saturday, July 28, with a funky mix of Creole music and rhythm and blues.

In August, classic rock cover band ARRA performs Friday, Aug. 24.

On Saturday, Aug. 25, the 1960s folk-rock singer Al Stewart performs. Stewart is known for hits such as "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages."

Gates open at 5 p.m. and concerts begin at 6 p.m.

Naper Nights is an expanded format of Naper Settlement Nights that took place between 2007 and 2010. Construction on the settlement's pathways temporarily halted the concerts last year.

Those pathways are being unveiled this summer. They're made with permeable brick pavers with an underlying gravel subbase that helps improve water quality in the DuPage River Watershed and alleviate flooding problems on the site and in the neighborhood surrounding the settlement.

The project received a Sustainable Development Award from The Conservation Foundation, as well as an excellence award from the Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District.

Ticket prices for Friday concerts are $10 for adults and $5 for kids ages 4 to 12. Kids younger than 4 are free. Saturday concert prices are $15 for adults and $10 for youths.

People who are interested in attending multiple concerts should consider a membership to the settlement, Visher suggested. A membership includes all six concerts as well as the settlement's other special events such as Civil War Days, Oktoberfest and All Hallows Eve.

Individual memberships are good for two people for $50. Family memberships are good for four people and cost $100.

"It's the best deal in town," Visher said. "You can't go wrong, you just can't."

For details, visit napersettlement.org or call (630) 420-6010.