Hard to believe summer is almost over. I feel like it just got started!

So, I’m marking my calendar today to make sure it ends with a bang — music, food, raffles, contests, games, fireworks, a parade and more — at the upcoming Wood Dale Family Fun Days, Friday to Sunday, Aug. 22 to 24.

“We hope that residents will have a great time with a three-day event and have a bigger time frame to make some of our sub-events,” said Amanda Melone, Wood Dale special events coordinator.

Wood Dale Family Fun Days began as a one-day, 75th community birthday party for the City of Wood Dale. For the first time, this year it has been raised to three days and called Wood Dale Family Fun Days.

“The City of Wood Dale has worked over the past five years to build the Wood Dale Family Fun Days,” Melone said. “As the years have passed, we have had an increase in attendance and activities. Wood Dale residents and tourists make these events possible.”

The end of summer fun will be at Wood Dale’s Town Square, Wood Dale Road and Commercial Avenue, with a start time of 7:30 p.m. Friday with the band High Infidelity. They play until 9:30 p.m. and fireworks will start around 9:40 p.m.

On Saturday, the fun continues with Wags ‘n’ Wheels on Parade, the annual pet and bike parade. Parade festivities like pet-friendly contests, raffles, temporary tattoos and commemorative pictures begin at 10 a.m. at Franzen Grove, next to Wood Dale Junior High on Wood Dale Road. Registration is accepted there and spectators are encouraged to line the parade route cheering on participants.

Owners (of all ages) and their pets (of all kinds) will parade down Wood Dale Road to Town Square where a motorcycle and car show will already be on display and remain until 6 p.m. An interactive disc jockey will entertain the crowd, 1 to 4 p.m., with music and games like hot potato, water balloon tosses and even a hula hoop contest. Bingo will start at 5 p.m. The band Final Say will perform from 7:30 p.m. to closing time at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday is the final fun day and starts at noon with Polish dancers, who will perform until 2 p.m. The band Stockwood will directly follow and perform until 4 p.m.

All activities during the three days are free. Food from local vendors and beer will be available for purchase throughout the weekend.

During the weekend fun, raffles will have prizes like gift certificates to restaurants, stores, bowling, hotels and tickets. The VFW will have prizes for bingo. Games for the whole family will be daily.

With attendance hovering at 3,000 during past versions of Wood Dale Family Fun Days, the special events committee is hopeful this year’s event will draw even more people with more days and activities. Future ideas include adding carnival rides.

“Our goal is to enhance our events to better serve our tourists, as well as the residents of the City of Wood Dale,” Melone said.

This event is sponsored by the City of Wood Dale and Itasca Bank & Trust Co. The Wood Dale Park District, Police and Fire Departments, Historical Society, VFW Post 1249, Scout troops, plus, numerous local businesses are also involved.

For more information about Wood Dale Family Fun Days, including registration for Wags ‘n’ Wheels on Parade, visit www.WoodDale.com or call the special events committee hotline, (630) 787-3712.

Border Bounding is a weekly column appearing on Thursdays. Ideas and items for the column can be e-mailed to hipychk73@yahoo.com.