Welcome to Tri-Cities Central, a twice-weekly newsletter highlighting local happenings in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles and surrounding communities.
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LOCAL SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
👩🦰 The Tri-Cities’ newest salon: Lauren Christine Hair Artistry
With nearly two decades of professional experience and deep Tri-Cities roots, Lauren Giardino believes haircare is about more than knocking an item off your to-do list.
It should be an experience. Professional. Friendly. Fun.
That’s why she’s assembled a team of talented stylists who can do it all, from cuts and treatments to coloring and extensions. As we enter peak prom and wedding season — could the timing be any better?
To reserve time at their beautiful riverfront salon at 1 West State Street #101 in Geneva, book an appointment online or give them a call at 630-457-5028.
💥 BONUS: New customers will receive 10% off first-time customer service.
🐶 Dog-friendly patios in the Tri-Cities
📸 Photo credit: facebook.com/PollyannaBrewing
Do ya’ll get as unreasonably excited about patio season as I do?
Once a somewhat novel concept, dog-friendly bar and brewery patios have become commonplace — especially around the Tri-Cities.
While it pains me that we can’t hit the town with our dog (she’s a rescue who remains stubbornly dog-reactive), the list* of local patios below should prove useful to those of you with socially well-adjusted pets.
*Not an exhaustive list of all dog-friendly patios, but a solid one nonetheless.
Batavia
✅ Crosstown Pub & Grill | 1890 Mill Street: Famous for its wings, this local spot near the post office just off Randall Road offers a sunny, canine-friendly patio.
✅ Sidecar Supper Club & Beer Garden | 12. N. River Street: Nestled behind the cozy neighborhood eatery and watering hole is a hidden treasure of an outdoor patio — a must-visit this summer if you’ve never been.
Geneva
✅ Art History Brewing | 649 W. State Street: Don’t let its inconspicuous location next to Ace Hardware fool you — great company, food trucks, pop-ups, music and dogs create a fun and welcoming patio atmosphere.
✅ The Burger Local | 577 S. 3rd Street: Not only does the runner-up in this year’s Tri-Cities Central “Best Burger” contest have a mouthwatering menu, they’ll serve your thirsty dog a bowl of cold water on their small outdoor patio.
✅ Preservation | 513 S. 3rd Street: Just a hop and a skip from The Burger Local you’ll find Preservation’s iconic, all-seasons heated patio — a unique hangout for dogs and humans alike.
✅ Geneva Winery & Tasting Room | 426 S. 3rd Street: There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere on the front lawn of Geneva winery with some live music on a sunny, summer day. Bringing the dogs is just gravy.
St. Charles
✅ 93 Octane Brewing | 1825 Lincoln Highway: This sneaky taproom on Route 38 — conveniently connected to a liquor store, Urban Counter eatery and gas station — has an airy indoor/outdoor patio with TVs and occasional live music.
✅ Alter Brewing & Kitchen | 12 S. 1st Street: One of the few Tri-Cities spots you and your dog can snag a seat right along the Fox River — with easy access to the riverfront trail. It’s a vibe out there.
✅ The Filling Station | 300 W. Main Street: Ah, the Filler. A St. Charles institution. And a go-to downtown establishment for folks looking to enjoy a bite, a beer and some canine companionship.
✅ Pollyanna Brewing & Distilling | 106 S. Riverside Ave: Downtown riverfront views, amazing beer, live music and food trucks…what more could you want? We saw no less than six dogs on the patio last weekend, including a massive Great Dane I want to hang out with again.
✅ Whiskey Bend | 222 W. Main Street: One of the Tri-Cities’ newer outdoor spaces, this patio has it all — a full bar, a great food menu, occasional live music and a chance to pet friendly local dogs.
📰 News to use
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☑️ Bankruptcy update: An Illinois entrepreneur who currently owns Chicago-based Dutch Farms has put in a “stalking horse” bid to purchase Oberweis and all its assets.
☑️ Ashton Ridge: A Batavia committee voted to recommend approval of zoning and other changes for a new subdivision on McKee Street. View the presentation and video from the meeting.
☑️ Bipartisan effort: Several local legislators have joined a push to approve a bill that would end Illinois’ status as the only state to require extra driving tests for people aged 75 and over.
☑️ Mahoney Creek foam: Batavia will make city staff available to discuss water/soil test results and cleanup plans at a public town hall at City Hall on Monday at 6PM.
🔒 Tragedy prevented: An investigation revealed that a Kane County jail corrections officer recently saved a detainee’s life by interrupting a suicide attempt.
☑️ Street rehab: Several road rehabilitation projects are happening in St. Charles this spring — check out this interactive map and this project page to see if your neighborhood will be affected.
🏘️ In the community
☑️ Flowers on Fargo: Head out to witness the famous tulip display that blossoms annually in a residential yard on Fargo Blvd in Geneva — the sooner the better!
☑️ Free, safe service: Police departments and other Tri-Cities entities will collect old/expired prescription medications from 10AM-2PM on Saturday as part of National Drug Take-Back Day.
☑️ Batavia detour: South Prairie Street in Batavia will be closed to traffic today and tomorrow from 7AM-5PM due to ongoing utility work.
☑️ Downtown rally: UUSG is organizing a “We Are All Immigrants” rally in support of migrants and refugees to take place at the Route 38 bridge in Geneva at noon on Saturday.
☑️ Spring cleaning: St. Charles residents can easily dispose of unwanted items through the Community Clean Up program happening the next two Saturdays.
☑️ Local home sales: Residential property sales for the week ending April 13 included six in Batavia, six in Geneva and seven in St. Charles — including one on Eldorado Drive in Geneva for $791K.
🎸 Live music
Libido Funk Circus performs at Evenflow on Friday night.
Still waiting on a few Friday/Saturday performers to be announced, but we’ve got an exciting lineup this weekend — including performances at both the Batavia and St. Charles libraries on Sunday.
Plus, the Wayne Messmer Quarter performs at Moonlight Theatre on Friday and live music returns to The Hive on Saturday.
🏬 Local biz
📸 Credit: Batavia Chamber of Commerce
☑️ Business expanding: Geneva Winery celebrated a ribbon cutting for its new Batavia space last week — and another location is planned for Elburn.
☑️ Positive pub: Although Alter Brewing is known for its quality beer, food and ambiance, their efforts to give back to the community are what recently earned them a 4-minute feature on FOX 32 News Chicago.
☑️ More caffeine, please: As of last week, a Krema Coffee Roasters shop is now open just down the road in North Aurora.
🗓️ Events + things to do
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☑️ Geneva Citywide Garage Sale | Fri + Sat | Get an online and printable version of this weekend’s garage sale map.
☑️ Kane Native Plant Sale | Saturday, 8AM-12PM | LeRoy Oakes, STC | Stock up on a diverse array of native plants.
☑️ Volunteer Fair | Saturday, 10AM-12PM | Geneva Library | Meet reps from various organizations and find out more about volunteer opportunities in our area.
🎟️ Comedy & Cannoli w/ Fred Rubino | Saturday, 9PM | Club Arcada, STC | Dinner and a show featuring a hilarious stand-up comic from Brooklyn.
☑️ Preservation Week | Sunday - May 4 | Batavia Depot Museum | Find hidden histories, local trivia and unique pop-up experiences throughout the week.
🎟️ Chicago Toy Show | Sunday, 8AM | Kane County Fairgrounds, STC | The largest specialty show featuring antique toy and doll collectibles. Kids get in free!
🌖 Weather snapshot
🌤️ Today: High 61F | Low 43F | Truly delightful
⛈️ Friday: High 62F | Low 58F | Storms late
⛈️ Saturday: High 78F | Low 64F | T-storms
⛈️ Sunday: High 74F | Low 62F | Crazy storms maybe
📖 How am I doing?
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