West Cook News

Increased traffic is anticipated near Brookfield Zoo and Riverside-Brookfield High School from June 21 to June 23.

Riverside-Brookfield High School will host its annual Summer Shootout basketball tournament, featuring 84 teams and attracting hundreds of attendees each day. The tournament schedule is as follows: Friday, June 21 from noon to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, June 22 from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, June 23 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

High school staff will manage traffic around the campus, and visitors are urged to observe parking restrictions in residential areas and use main roads for access.

Additionally, Brookfield Zoo expects increased visitor numbers this weekend due to the debut of two koala bears at the Hamill Family Play Zoo. This marks the first time in Brookfield Zoo's 90-year history that koalas will be on display. The animals are on a two-year loan from the San Diego Zoo.

Saturday, June 22 also marks the first of Brookfield Zoo's three Roaring Nights concerts this summer. The other concerts are scheduled for July 12 and July 27. All concerts are sold out and run from 6 to 10 p.m.

Zoo officials anticipate heightened traffic for the concerts between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m., as well as from 9:30 to 10:30 p.m. Electronic message boards will be used by Brookfield Zoo to direct traffic to parking lots and prevent vehicles from entering residential areas. Police departments from Brookfield and Riverside are coordinating with Brookfield Zoo police to monitor traffic flow and mitigate impacts on nearby residential zones.