Saturday, July 12, is the first of two Patron Appreciation Days planned for Villa Park pools. Be sure to plan a visit to Jefferson Pool Saturday to see the Aloha Chicago Dancers, who have been called the Chicago area’s finest island dancers. Their success has been attributed to their ability to unite the area’s finest professional Polynesian dancers and musicians with amazing talents and professional experience.

The dancers will take you on a Pacific Island adventure to the Islands of Polynesia. Experience the graceful dances of Hawaii, the fast thrilling dances of Tahiti, the fascinating dances of New Zealand, the explosive dances from Samoa and the exciting fire dances of Polynesia.

This free event starts at 7:30 p.m. Jefferson Pool is at Terrace Street and Harvard Avenue.

Another great free event is Mud Madness, which will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 18, at Lions Park, 320 E. Wildwood St. If you’ve never been to this wild and muddy good time, be sure to bring the kids. It’s really an amazing thing to watch all the kids, and some who want to be kids again, play around in all the mud. Some of the kids jump right in and start having fun and others kind of watch from the sidelines, not quite sure whether it’s going to work for them. They usually all end up in the mud.

This is the third year the Parks & Recreation Department has put on Mud Madness.

“Last year, over 250 kids participated, and this year looks to be even bigger and better. Aside from playing in the mud, the day will feature games, interactive dances and the crowning of the Mud King and Queen,” said Program Supervisor Steve Munsie.

A disc jockey will be on hand to get the children pumped up and moving.

Munsie said that truckloads of quality, pulverized top soil will be dumped at the south end of Lions Park. Grounds crew will then walk into the dirt with a fire hose and soak it down until it turns into wonderful thick, black mud.

If mud can be thought of as “clean,” then this mud will qualify. The pulverized dirt that will be delivered is free of wood chips, small rocks and other objects that can be in dirt. Even so, it is advised to wear shoes. Have the kids wear an old pair of gym shoes because flip flops and other sandals can get stuck in the mud and lost. Also, the kids obviously need to wear clothes that can get ruined because they will.

Trust me, having watched Mud Madness the last few years, mud will be everywhere. In their ears, in their hair — everywhere.

Temporary shower stations will be set up so the kids can hose off before going home.
The kids will really have fun with free play and the organized games. Mud Madness is a supervised activity, so horseplay will be discouraged. The goal is for the kids to have fun.

“This year, the celebration continues into Saturday, July 19, with a mud volleyball tournament. Co-ed teams will compete in a double-elimination tournament in what looks to be a wild and messy weekend,” Munsie said.

For more information on these events, call the Parks and Recreation Department at (630) 834-8970.