July hits the finish line at top speed with a full roster of culture and food festivals, free outdoor performances, and splashy water fun.

On Saturday, celebrate Harry Potter's birthday at The Party That Shall Not Be Named, a FREE bash for young witches and wizards in Naperville, or climb aboard a big rig at the DuPage Children's Museum Transportation Celebration and Touch-a-Truck. Families with older kids can pack up the picnic blankets for FREE alfresco family-friendly performances this weekend: Monty Python's Spamalot at the Wallace Bowl in Wilmette, and a lightning-round highlight reel of the Bard's greatest hits at Shakespeare in the Park, also in Wilmette. 

This weekend's street fairs and cultural festivals include the DuPage County Fair at the fairgrounds in Wheaton, the Fiesta Del Sol in support of the Pilsen community, Wicker Park Fest with a special Kids Fest both days, the Prairie Fest with carnival rides and concerts in west suburban Wood Dale, Family Fun Fest in Lombard, Chicago Ridge Fest in the south suburbs with a Family Fun Day (plus fireworks) on Sunday, all the pizza and pasta you can eat at Little Italy Fest West in Addison, and bites of just about every tasty food Chicagoland has to offer at the 36th annual Taste of Lincoln Avenue. Plus, two special cultural fairs this weekend honor Chicago's African diaspora communities: the Bantu Fest in Hyde Park with concerts, delicious food, and a children's village, and Ghana Fest in Washington Park with spectacular parades, dancing, art, and food.

Ready to hit the water? Two fun riffs on your standard day at the beach or the neighborhood pool are happening this weekend: Swim with Santa and his reindeer at Christmas in July in the East End Pool in Elmhurst, or blow bedtime for the light-up party that is the Bensenville Water Park Glow Crazy Night. 

See our Chicago family event calendar for more ideas, or our list of 50+ FREE Things to Do With Kids This Summer.