Help us celebrate, protect and restore the Fox River
Saturday, September 19
It’s Our Fox River Day (IOFRD) is held each year on the third Saturday of September. Individuals and groups organize events to celebrate, protect and restore the health of the Fox River.
The Fox River “watershed” is the total land area that drains into the Fox River; it encompasses over 2500 square miles and serves over 1 million residents. Protecting a watershed requires thinking and acting as a watershed. It’s Our Fox River Day (IOFRD) is the largest demonstration of Fox River watershed-wide protective and celebratory action.
Host Registration for 2026 Now Open!
Host a River Celebration Event
FOTFR invites you and your affiliates to register an event now for IOFRD ’26 to enable watershed-wide advertisement of your organization’s event and all of the collective events. FOTFR will help you plan your event.
Join Us in Celebrating the Fox River
FOTFR and its partners are organizing events that include celebrations along the entire Fox River such as clean-ups, restoration activities, educational activities, shoreline yoga, meditation, paddling parties, a flower blessing, and more.
Become a Business Supporter
Each year, IOFRD has grown to involve more people and in more creative and fun ways. Consider becoming an IOFRD business supporter to help us in our river protection efforts, and FOTFR will help promote your business on our website and social media.
Issue a Proclamation
A handful of cities and villages along the Fox River watershed have issued proclamations in recognition of It’s Our Fox River Day. Is your town on the list? Let us know how we can help get your town on the map.
Contact us at IOFRD@FOTFR.org or call 815.365.6605 for questions.
The Fox River Watershed map below highlights events taking place in 2026 across the 200-mile span of the Fox River.
To see all 2026 IOFRD events, the map must be in full screen mode.
Click the icon in the top left corner to open the index. Zoom in to see where events were hosted. Click on a logo to see event details.
Here are the IOFRD 2026 Events (so far) by Location North to South
Outdoor Education Day – Registration Coming Soon | Antioch, IL |
Restoring Nippersink Creek at Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge | Richmond. IL |
Celebrating Dutch Creek with Boone-Dutch Creeks Watershed Alliance – rsvp (815) 687-0350 | Johnsburg, IL |
RiverFest | Port Barrington, IL |
Rotary River Cleanup C’Ville | Carpentersville, IL |
Bow Wow and Bagels | Dundee, IL |
Fox River Day at Elgin History Museum | Elgin, IL |
Elgin IKES Creek Cleanup | Elgin, IL |
Fox River Bluff West Dog Park | Saint Charles, IL |
It’s Our Fox River Day | Saint Charles, IL |
Franciscan Friends of the Fox River Public Celebration | North Aurora, IL |
Communities who Issued IOFRD Proclamations
Do you see your town listed?
IOFRD = “I Offered”
IOFRD is pronounced “I offered” – a day intended to be both an individual and collective event that offers a thank you to the Fox River. The concept originated as a 200-mile cleanup to symbolize the need for a unified approach to protect and restore a watershed. IOFRD has evolved to include celebrations that go beyond the standard trash removal. It is intended to grow awareness throughout the entire watershed for the need to work collaboratively to protect and restore the health of the Fox River. It is also an opportunity for residents to be able to say, “I offered” thanks to my Fox River.
The Fox River serves 1 million residents
Without interruption the Fox River serves over 1,000,000 watershed residents every day. It carries the wastewater and stormwater from over 100 communities, and provides drinking water for over 300,000 residents. It also provides habitat for a diversity of plants and animals and is an exceptional resource for boaters, paddlers, anglers, hikers and photographers. All the while, the Fox River brings economic value through its aesthetic appeal to every riverfront community.
Managing a resource that crosses a state line and several municipal borders is a huge challenge. FOTFR’s founder, Pat Reese called for a unified effort for watershed management in 1988. It’s Our Fox River Day is a step in that direction.
FOTFR’s Director of Education Operations Jenni Schiavone organized a full-length river paddle trip to help raise awareness about IOFRD and the importance of the Fox River’s natural resources. Jenni experienced unique challenges, inspiring moments and beautiful scenery along her 10-day river journey, paddling and portaging.
Jenni said, “I watched giant fish, turtles, and invertebrates in their natural environment as though it were an aquarium.” Throughout her trip, she also identified threats to the health of the river such as stormwater inputs, combined wastewater overflow, agricultural runoff, and litter.
See IOFRD Event Photos
We are always gathering information and welcome additional materials, photos, logos and/or corrections.
Friends of the Fox River is grateful for the support of organizers and participants whose impact was too enormous to fully tabulate.
IOFRD Organizers
- Municipalities
- Service Organizations
- Business hosts
- Individuals
- Large Events with Multiple Partners
Become an IOFRD Business Supporter
Friends of the Fox River (FOTFR) is inviting businesses as supporters in exchange for advertising their IOFRD promotion.
See a list of past business supporters
The public has an increased way to benefit the Fox River, FOTFR grows our Fox River protection capacity, and you grow your business.
It only costs $100 to become a business supporter. For more details, contact Gary Swick at 815-356-6605.
Business Supporter Sign-Up Page
