AROUND TOWN
Moose Cruise Nights
Photos by 726 Visuals
The Downers Grove Loyal Order of Moose hosted another summer of Cruise Nights on Fridays in downtown Downers Grove.
Classic cars, souped-up...
FOOD & DRINK
What’s Brewing
Local Oktoberfest celebrations have fun for the whole family on tap this fall
When September hits, Oktoberfest isn’t far behind. The famed fall festival originated...
Labriola Restaurant An Elevated Dining Experience
By Hinsdale Magazine Group Staff| Photo by Laura Meyers
In an exciting move that promises to elevate the culinary scene, Rich Labriola, the visionary behind...
GIVING BACK
Local Blessings
Blessings in a Backpack offers a solution for food insecurity
By Maureen Callahan
Millions of American families experience food insecurity. Sometimes, it’s part of the fall-out...
Giving USA: U.S. charitable giving totaled over $550 billion in 2023
By Dave McGowan
Giving USA 2024: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for 2023, released in June, reported that an estimated $557.16 billion was donated by...
ART + THEATRE
Lauren Lakeberg blends a love of photography, nature, and disc golf...
By Valerie Hardy
Lauren Lakeberg’s first word was “light” – fitting, given that she grew up to become a professional photographer. “Photography has been with...
BUSINESS + MONEY
Following Their Lead
Meet the influencers behind @somethingwhitty and @whatgracebought
By Valerie Hardy I Photos by Victor Hilitski
With the advent and subsequent expansion of social media like Facebook, Instagram,...
Global Reach with Local Roots
Ball Horticultural Company has grown to be the industry’s innovator
By Anna Hughes
Ball Horticultural Company is to be a major force in horticulture right here...
TRAVEL
Travel: Pure Michigan
Autumnal days on Michigan’s “Sunset Coast” are the perfect weekend trip when the weather turns cool
By Mia Jones
Discover why Lake Michigan’s coastline is a...
Spring Break Travel Essentials
As the days get longer and trees start to bloom, we know that spring and summer travel are right on the horizon.
Whether you're planning...
HEALTH + LIFE
A Fighting Illini
Local UIUC freshman discusses cancer battle in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
By Anna Hughes
Adrian Lam was weeks away from starting his freshman year...
NEWS & EVENTS
Plans to improve livability, mobility, design, sustainability for future of Downers...
By Valerie Hardy I Photos courtesy of the Village of Downers Grove
If Downers Grove had a crystal ball, it would be Guiding DG, a...
A Downers Grove North alumna who has appeared twice on Jeopardy!...
By Maureen Callahan l Photos courtesy of Jeopardy!
Downers Grove North alumna and Plainfield High School teacher Erin Portman has a lot of curiosity about...
HISTORY VAULT
Back in Time: Leslie Goddard brings history to life
By Maureen Callahan
Most of us dream of finding an occupation we love- something for which we have a heartfelt passion while still making a...
Rudy! 30 years later, Rudy walks on with a new generation
By Maureen Callahan
Everybody loves an underdog. Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger is one of the most memorable in the history of film. Thirty years ago, audiences...
SPORTS
Fall at the Sports Core
Cool sunny days make fall the perfect season to enjoy your sport of choice at the Oak Brook Sports Core. Whether your passion is...
Next Level: Local area student-athletes continue athletic pursuits
Congratulations to the local student-athletes from the Class of 2024 who will continue their academic and athletic pursuits at the Division 1 collegiate level.
It...
HOME & DESIGN
One of a Kind — Architectural Gems in the Western Suburbs
There is no shortage of unique architecture in the Chicagoland area. In this issue, a handful of homes nestled in the western suburbs are...
Home & Design: A Slice of Americana
Sears Homes offer a glimpse of a past
that will stand well into the future
By Maureen Callahan | Photos by 726 Visuals
Instead of looking online...
IN EVERY ISSUE
Stopping Traffic and Starting the Day
Crossing guard Maureen Brdlik has been
crossing families for 31 years and counting
By Marty Blader
For kids, the morning rush is the period from when your...
LATEST STORIES
Following Their Lead
Meet the influencers behind @somethingwhitty and @whatgracebought
By Valerie Hardy I Photos by Victor Hilitski
With the advent and subsequent expansion of social media like Facebook, Instagram,...
Stopping Traffic and Starting the Day
Crossing guard Maureen Brdlik has been
crossing families for 31 years and counting
By Marty Blader
For kids, the morning rush is the period from when your...
DuPagePads Drive for 55
A race to end homelessness puts the ‘fun’ in fundraising
By Maureen Callahan
For more than three decades, DuPagePads has been bringing people in from outside...
Riding Into the Wind
Rest In Peace, George the Cyclist
By Maureen Callahan
Every life is validated by purpose. For avid cyclist George Christensen - writer, movie buff, and afficionado...
Superintendent’s Path to Leading District 99
Looking back on how Dr. Hank Thiele’s past has prepared him to lead
By Marty Blader
Boy and Girl Scouts of America are equipped with the...
Local Blessings
Blessings in a Backpack offers a solution for food insecurity
By Maureen Callahan
Millions of American families experience food insecurity. Sometimes, it’s part of the fall-out...
Giving USA: U.S. charitable giving totaled over $550 billion in 2023
By Dave McGowan
Giving USA 2024: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for 2023, released in June, reported that an estimated $557.16 billion was donated by...
Moose Cruise Nights
Photos by 726 Visuals
The Downers Grove Loyal Order of Moose hosted another summer of Cruise Nights on Fridays in downtown Downers Grove.
Classic cars, souped-up...
Rotary GroveFest
Photos by 726 Visuals
People of all ages enjoyed the Rotary GroveFest in the heart of Downers Grove this past June. Featuring rides, beer garden,...
Turning a Leaf
by Mia Jones
As the days start to get a little cooler and kids are going back to school, there are a variety of fall...
Fall at the Sports Core
Cool sunny days make fall the perfect season to enjoy your sport of choice at the Oak Brook Sports Core. Whether your passion is...
Diving For Dreams
Oak Brook resident builds career, pursues dreams at Brookfield Zoo Chicago
By Anna Hughes | Photos courtesy of the Brookfield Zoo Chicago
For most people, the...
A Fighting Illini
Local UIUC freshman discusses cancer battle in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
By Anna Hughes
Adrian Lam was weeks away from starting his freshman year...
Global Reach with Local Roots
Ball Horticultural Company has grown to be the industry’s innovator
By Anna Hughes
Ball Horticultural Company is to be a major force in horticulture right here...
Resurrecting Mary: Chicago’s most famous ghost-in-residence
By Maureen Callahan
Legends. Every corner of the world has them. Local lore is part of a location’s identity.
One dyed-in-the-wool staple of this area is...
Travel: Pure Michigan
Autumnal days on Michigan’s “Sunset Coast” are the perfect weekend trip when the weather turns cool
By Mia Jones
Discover why Lake Michigan’s coastline is a...
What’s Brewing
Local Oktoberfest celebrations have fun for the whole family on tap this fall
When September hits, Oktoberfest isn’t far behind. The famed fall festival originated...
Accepted! Despite competitive college admissions, triplets admitted at UofM
Despite the increasingly competitive college admissions process,
local triplets all admitted at University of Michigan
BY VALERIE HARDY
The landscape of the college admissions process has changed...
Splash from the past: 70 years in the community.
A reflection of the Downers Grove Swim and Racquet Club as it celebrates
By Marty Blader
In 1954, the first Burger King opened in Miami building...
A Full Plate: Bales Metal Surface Solutions celebrates four and a half decades
By Maureen Callahan
We kind of live in an episode of How It’s Made,” jokes Stacey Bales, President of Bales Metal Surface Solutions, when she...
Labriola Restaurant An Elevated Dining Experience
By Hinsdale Magazine Group Staff| Photo by Laura Meyers
In an exciting move that promises to elevate the culinary scene, Rich Labriola, the visionary behind...
Danny Mucciolo completed a rare feat: running all six World Marathon Majors
By Valerie Hardy
For Danny Mucciolo, becoming a marathon runner happened by accident. He literally took a couple wrong turns.
Mucciolo, a seven-year Downers Grove resident,...
Plans to improve livability, mobility, design, sustainability for future of Downers Grove
By Valerie Hardy I Photos courtesy of the Village of Downers Grove
If Downers Grove had a crystal ball, it would be Guiding DG, a...
LETTER from THE ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
A Celebration of Summer… and Achievement
Welcome to the summer issue of Downers Grove Magazine. In the past months, our team has meticulously curated content...
The Best of Chicago, for Chicago
Meet Julie Maddox, creator of NBC’s “Chicago Today”
By Cynthia Maquet
Lifestyle, fashion, food, health, and beauty are just a few of the trending topics that...
Next Level: Local area student-athletes continue athletic pursuits
Congratulations to the local student-athletes from the Class of 2024 who will continue their academic and athletic pursuits at the Division 1 collegiate level.
It...
Preparing for Princeton: DGN’s Stanton has cousin to thank for hoops success
By Jeff Vorva
A little tough-love type of bullying between cousins helped kickstart Jack Stanton’s career.
The Downers Grove North grad, who is heading to Princeton...
Serenades of the Summer
Concert series make their return for another music-filled summer
By Mia Jones
Sweet summertime calls for ample entertainment opportunities and good live music. Luckily, residents of...
Charitable Giving: DuPage County’s predicted wealth transfer has huge implications
By Dave McGowan
The 2020 Illinois Transfer of Wealth Study reveals an astonishing trend: DuPage County residents are transferring more wealth than ever before, and...
Draft Day OK for J.J.
Naz star ready to start NFL career with Vikings
By Jeff Vorva
While many members of Nazareth Nation gathered in the Stadium in McCook for...
A Fair to Remember
It’s 70 years for DuPage County Fairground’s signature celebration
By Maureen Callahan
For more than a century and a half, the DuPage County Fair has drawn...
The Perfect Taste of Summer
A hot summer day, time by the pool or beach, or an evening at home means you need something to sip on. Try out...
A Page Out of History: Downers Grove’s Baseball History
BY MAUREEN CALLAHAN I PHOTOS COURTESY OF DOWNERS GROVE MUSEUM
Baseball. It’s the American game. Not only is it the country’s earliest seriously organized sport...
Nazareth Academy Roadrunners return with hopes of defending their repeat state titles
By Anna Hughes
It takes a lot to make a great baseball player: determination, grit, talent, and commitment.
The Nazareth Academy varsity team has lots of...
Summer is right around the corner, and we’ve rounded up the best events of...
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Paramount Theatre
April 24-June 16
paramountaurora.com
Enjoy an evening at one of Chicagoland’s most highly esteemed theatres for their production of Beautiful: The...