Ali Noyes, 4, of Wheaton pinches off a piece of a giant ball of cotton candy during the Cream of Wheaton at Memorial Park in Wheaton on Thursday. The festival continues this weekend. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

When it comes to festival names, Cream of Wheaton is the crème de la crème.

The start-of-summer celebration opened Thursday and runs through the weekend with an atmosphere that appeals to families, live music fans and anyone who appreciates a clever play on words.

The Cream of Wheaton, as the story goes, gets its name from a certain hot cereal.

Most of the action is in Memorial Park, the venue for concerts. A food vendor row abuts the park along Karlskoga Avenue. Downtown, neon-lit carnival rides are in full swing on Liberty Drive.

Lynn Vanharen of Naperville dances t

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