Happy Thursday!

The Tri-Cities pizza competition has reached its climax: Just the championship match remains.

In a curious twist, 11-seeded Lou Malnati’s — the Chicago-area chain known for its deep dish — outlasted several opponents and narrowly squeaked past Aurelio’s in the semifinals. On the other side, Riverside Pizza soundly defeated Charlie Fox’s Geneva to advance to the finals.

➡️ Let’s settle this once and for all: Cast your Championship votes.

📮 Need to contact me with questions, tips or suggestions? Get in touch here.

I don’t know about you, by my summer calendar fills up fast.

It’s too easy to overbook and miss out on fun events. Which is why it’s nice to have some advance notice about some of the bigger things happening locally.

August 18-24 | St. Charles Plein Air Fest: The St. Charles Arts Council's Plein Air is a weeklong event featuring dozens of artists who will set up outdoors at various locations around town — where they’ll do their painting in public. Throughout the week, attendees can visit Plein Air painters, view art demos, purchase pieces, and enjoy creative activities. More info here.

August 31 | Block Party, Car Show, & Taste of Batavia: Downtown Batavia’s annual Block Party returns on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend with live music, food vendors, a kids zone, and the Wayback Wheels Car Show hosted by the Batavia Depot Museum. The car show runs along Houston Street, while the Peg Bond Center hosts the rest of the festivities. More info here.

September 5–7 | Geneva’s Festival of the Vine: Geneva’s annual Festival of the Vine returns with food, wine, and live music in the heart of downtown. Local restaurants serve specialties under the big tent on James Street (between Fourth and Fifth), with wine tastings, carriage rides, and an arts and crafts show rounding out the weekend lineup. More info here.

_{LOCAL SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT}

Sunday brunch is a time-honored tradition — and you won’t find a better value in the Tri-Cities than at The Little Traveler’s Atrium Café. In fact, it was named Best Brunch in West Suburban Living’s 2024 Best of the West.

For just $12.95, enjoy a full spread of fresh, house-made favorites, from fluffy omelets with crispy bacon to Swedish pancakes and Crab Cakes Benedict. Trust me, there’s a reason so many local folks have been coming back for decades.

💥 Beyond brunch: Check out The Little Traveler’s Summer 2025 Almanack for upcoming events and exciting new products.

☑️ By the numbers: CMAP released data snapshots for every municipality in the region (including Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles), offering up-to-date stats on housing, income, and other demographics. Look up your community.

☑️ River tragedy: The body of 25-year-old Taylor Russell was recovered from the Fox River in St. Charles last week after a kayaking incident. Here’s a GoFundMe for his family.

The 🔒 symbol indicates a potential paywall.

☑️ Bomb threat: Police evacuated about 400 people from the Q Center in St. Charles on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat targeted Texas politicians staying there, but officials found no device and guests were able to return.

☑️ Demolition denied: Following years of debate between the owners, the city, residents, and preservationists, the St. Charles City Council rejected a proposal to tear down the 181-year-old Barry House.

☑️ Crash on Randall: A 49-year-old woman from Minnesota died after being struck by a car in the Wahlburgers parking lot on South Randall Road in St. Charles on Sunday. The crash remains under investigation.

☑️ New city official: The Geneva City Council has appointed Alex Voigt as the city’s next Administrator, replacing the retiring Stephanie Dawkins this fall. Voigt previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff in Aurora (among other roles).

🔒 Election update: Geneva resident Jessica Breugelmans has announced her campaign for the Republican nomination for the 33rd District state Senate seat following Don DeWitte’s decision not to seek reelection.

☑️ Traffic updates: Annual resurfacing work will cause lane closures on Kirk Road in Geneva and St. Charles beginning next week.

☑️ Public health: Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles conducted citywide mosquito sprays on Wednesday (8/6) following the discovery of mosquitos that tested positive for West Nile.

The ✳️ symbol indicates sponsored content.

☑️ Back to school: The new school year for Tri-Cities students is rapidly approaching. See opening dates for schools in Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, and other Kane County communities.

☑️ Drawing attention: WGN Morning News ventured out to the Batavia Farmers Market on a recent Saturday morning, interviewing local officials and vendors about the popular community destination and how it supports local businesses. Watch the segment.

☑️ Evolving needs: The Kane County Health Department released a list of resources designed to provide support for older adults in the community, help them access reliable information, and build strong connections.

☑️ Wellness weekend: Healing Gardens in St. Charles will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Sunday (8/10) with special public events including outdoor yoga and a meditation session — all part of its monthly open garden series.

☑️ Creative class: Know a talented artist, performer, educator, or arts advocate with local ties? You can nominate them for the 2026 Fox Valley Arts Hall of Fame from September 1 through October.

☑️ Future leaders: LEAP is now accepting applications from Kane County high school students for its 2025–2026 program, which teaches leadership, networking, and nonprofit skills through real-world experiences.

✳️ Zen Loft Collective series: Head to the riverfront near Geneva Winery in Batavia on Wednesday evenings for a relaxing all-levels yoga class near the water — designed to help you stretch, unwind, and reset in a peaceful outdoor setting.

I haven’t had a chance to catch any live music since our Tunes on Tap event a couple of weeks ago. With about 30 performances lined up for Friday alone, it shouldn’t be too difficult of a goal this weekend.

See you out there.

☑️ Mid-summer awards: Glancer Magazine named dozens of businesses from Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles among its 2025 "Best in Local" Readers’ Choice Award winners across categories like dining, wellness, events, and shopping.

☑️ Homegrown success: Local boutique Scout & Gem is opening a permanent storefront at 9 N. Third Street in downtown Geneva after building a following at the Batavia Boardwalk Shops.

☑️ Off to a sweet start: Que Buen Churro celebrated a grand opening on Crescent Place in Geneva (in the Metra station building) on August 1, bringing an authentic, family-owned churro shop to the Tri-Cities.

🎯 [YOUR MESSAGE HERE] Make sure thousands of locals learn about your business or event with a sponsor spotlight in Tri-Cities Central. Get started here.

The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee.

☑️ STC Estate Sale | Thurs 8/7 - Sun 8/10 | Circle Dr., St. Charles | From vintage collectibles to tools and decor, this sale will be packed with interesting items.

🎟️ Blueberry Fest & Corn Boil | Fri 8/8 - Sun 8/10 | Windy Acres Farm, Geneva | Enjoy blueberry food, treats, and drinks — plus a beer garden and myriad kids activities.

☑️ Second Fridays | Fri 8/8, 6-9PM | Batavia Arts District | A gallery reception at Water St. Studios, plus food, art, live music, and local shopping.

☑️ Batavia Fireworks Trunk Sale | Sat 8/9, 9AM-3PM | Batavia High School | Score great deals on a variety of items — including back-to-school stuff.

☑️ Puzzle Exchange | Sat 8/9, 11AM-1PM | Batavia Library | Bring in gently used puzzles and walk away with different ones to try out.

☑️ Free Corn Party | Sat 8/9 & Sun 8/10 | Wiltse’s Farm, Maple Park | Free roasted corn, raffles, and a build-your-own-flower-basket special.

🎟️ Pond & Garden Tour | Sat 8/9 & Sun 8/10, 10AM-4PM | Aquascape, STC | A one-of-a-kind water features tour…photos welcome!

🎟️ Brys Estate Wine & Food Pairing | Sun 8/10, 12-2PM | Up North Wine Tasting, Geneva | Partake in creative pairings and learn about the featured winery.

🎟️ Geneva Community Chest Golf Outing | Sat 8/18, 9AM | Eagle Brook Country Club, Geneva | Golf, socialize, and support a variety of local charities.

🎟️ Graham’s Wine & Chocolate Tasting | Fri 9/5, 6PM | Nosh, Geneva | Explore decadent pairings of Graham’s Chocolates and delicious wine.

🎟️ Community Dinner Table | Sun 9/7, 4-6 | Downtown Batavia | An outdoor dining experience that brings Batavia together for a night of food, music, and community.

My mom Leslee Kraft (née Wicklund) recently discovered this historic photo of downtown Batavia. It previously belonged to my late grandparents, Karl and Vie Kraft.

She recently donated it to the Batavia Depot Museum. According to Museum Director Kate Garrett, the photo looks very similar to other Batavia parade photos from the early 1920s.

In cross referencing the uniforms in the photos, especially of the band with the distinctive white gaiters, she said that the photo appears to be the welcome home parade for WWI veterans held on September 17, 1919.

Always fun to take a trip down Batavia History Lane. Thanks to Kate Garrett and the Batavia Historical Society for sharing these photos.

If you’re into local history, make sure to pay the Batavia Depot Museum a visit.

🔥 Loved it, keep up the good work [this]

😐 Mediocre, could take it or leave it [this]

🛑 3 minutes I’ll never get back [this]

If you enjoy Tri-Cities Central, please spread the word!

Subscribe to Tri-Cities Central | Advertise | Website