Happy Thursday!

Well, that was fast. Labor Day weekend is already here.

In case you missed it on Monday, friendly reminder that the Block Party & Taste of Batavia event is happening this Sunday.

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

The Fox Valley Folklore Society has been a local champion of music, dance, and storytelling for 50 years, and this weekend their biggest celebration of the year returns to Wheeler Park in Geneva.

A Labor Day tradition since 1976, the Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival will offer six stages of continuous performances, hands-on workshops, and plenty of family activities. It strikes me as a curious combination of music, art, and block party vibes — definitely not your typical community festival.

This year’s lineup features about 20 featured performers alongside local musicians, plus special highlights like the Sunday evening barn dance (6–7:30PM) followed by “Spine-Tingling Stories After Dark” (7:30–9PM), where storytellers spin eerie tales by lantern light Goosebumps-style.

In addition to the music, creative vendors will be showcasing their art and a Kids Zone will be the place to go for games and activities. Several food trucks will set up shop as well.

Learn more about the event, including the full schedule and admission fees.

Founded in Aurora in 1975, the all-volunteer Fox Valley Folklore Society has grown into a local cultural hub, hosting weekly sing-arounds, monthly storytelling sessions, and now preparing to celebrate the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2026.

Learn more about the group in this Aurora Beacon-News article.

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The blacksmith shop on Geneva’s riverfront has a storied history — serving several different businesses and eventually becoming part of the Mill Race Inn. During the several years it’s been vacant, the structure has spurred preservation activism, lawsuits, and plenty of debate.

In his latest video, local real estate expert Chris Wallace visited the historic site to shed light on the past and make sense of where we’re at now.

☑️ Outdoor art: Check out some photos of several painters documenting various aspects of Pottawatomie Park during the Plein Air event in St. Charles last week.

☑️ Landmarks lost: Storms damaged a historic eagle sculpture at Riverbank Labs in Geneva and felled two centuries-old burr oaks in Aurora and Sugar Grove, leaving many locals bummed about the loss.

☑️ Race taking shape: Cody Holt of Elgin announced a run for the the 33rd state Senate seat, setting up a GOP primary against Geneva-area candidate Jessica Breugelmans to succeed retiring Sen. Don DeWitte.

☑️ Fatal crash: A man died Tuesday morning after his pickup truck rolled over at the Silver Glen and Old Homestead Road curve in St. Charles Township, according to the Kane County Sheriff’s Office.

☑️ E-bike education: Elburn officials chose to focus on education about e-bikes and scooters instead of adding new local rules, while leaving the door open for enforcement if more problems arise.

☑️ Nature notes: The Kane County Forest Preserve reported major summer conservation milestones such as a rare river otter sighting, releasing turtle hatchlings, discovering green snake eggs, banding kestrels, and planning a new bison enclosure.

☑️ Water warning: A Great Lakes advocacy group warns that the rapid expansion of AI data centers in northern Illinois could strain local drinking water supplies — made trickier by a lack of transparency on how much water these facilities use.

☑️ Rally planned: Local groups have organized a Labor Day rally in St. Charles to support rights for workers and unions, while also collecting donations for area crisis centers.

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☑️ A regional favorite: The Batavia Farmers Market (and the talented ladies at Batavia MainStreet) made yet another appearance on a TV news segment — this time on Fox Good Day Chicago. Give it a watch.

☑️ Local quest: The Forest Preserve District of Kane County and Fine Line Creative Arts Center are bringing back the Great Orb Hunt event September 4 through 30, hiding 150 handcrafted orbs in St. Charles and Batavia for folks to seek out.

🔒 Pathway to safety: St. Charles–based Tiny N Tall Rescue has teamed up with Rescue Roundtable to help ease overcrowding in shelters, part of a national effort that has saved more than 1,500 pets since April.

☑️ Science series: The St. Charles Park District is launching a new Barnyard Biotechnology Series at Primrose Farm this fall, offering hands-on science classes for youth and adults on DNA, genetics, de-extinction, and more.

☑️ Books & bites: The Batavia Public Library’s long-running “Books Between Bites” series returns September 18 with Mayor Schielke kicking off its 37th season of monthly lunchtime book talk events. See the season’s full lineup.

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

Upon popping into Bad Alice in Geneva last Thursday night, I discovered a live music duo in full swing. First I was delighted, then a little confused…how did the performance evade my systemic scouring of the local live music landscape? Impressive.

Subsequent attempts to discover a public schedule for music at Bad Alice have failed. Just wanted you to know that, on occasion, you’ll find live music there.

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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.

💥 Autumn Almanack is out! Check out The Little Traveler’s Autumn 2025 Almanack for upcoming events and exciting new products.

☑️ Quick transformation: Aurora-based Cinco De Mayo Market has taken over the old Berkley Finer Foods location on Batavia’s east side. The latest Area Code: Batavia episode digs into the owner’s whirlwind transition to operating a full-blown grocery store.

☑️ More pickle, more better: Pickleball Kingdom, a global indoor pickleball franchise, will open a 35,000-square-foot facility with 10 courts in North Aurora this December in what will be its second Illinois location.

🎯 Seeking new customers? A whopping 98% of Tri-Cities Central subscribers in our 2025 Reader Survey said “buying local is important to me.” Check out our sponsorship options and reach out if you want to talk advertising.

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☑️ Upscale Estate Sale | Fri 8/29 - Sat 8/30 | St. Charles | Browse furniture, kitchen items, decor, clothing, electronics, and even a 2013 Toyota Highlander.

🎟️ Improv Night | Fri 8/29, 8PM | Arcada Theatre, STC | A mashup of improv and music that’s sure to produce lots of laughs.

☑️ Charity Shopping Day | Sat 8/30, 10:30AM-5PM | The Little Traveler, Geneva | Get in some shopping with 10% of proceeds going to a local charity of your choosing.

☑️ Maple Park Fest | Sat 8/30 & Sun 8/31 | Maple Park | A parade, craft show, bags tourney, car show, food and drink, music, and even a toilet bowl race.

☑️ Classic Car Show | Sun 8/31, 11AM-3PM | Geneva Commons | Gawk at cool old cars, get free goodies, enjoy live music, and more.

🎟️ Harvest Fest | Sun 8/31, 12-7PM | Acquaviva Winery, Maple Park | Celebrate the grape harvest with food, live music, a grape stomp, and activities galore.

🎟️ GROW: September Classes | GROW Geneva | Several dates with jewelry making, watercolors, houseplant courses, terrariums, and other plant-ish artistic endeavors.

🎟️ VFW Car Show | Sun 9/7, 9AM-3PM | Batavia VFW | A car show with food and a 50/50 raffle — rescheduled due to weather.

🎟️ Harvest Moon Dinner | Thurs 9/11, 6-9PM | Heritage Prairie Farm, Elburn | A Nantucket-themed dinner with fresh food on the farm under a full moon.

☑️ St. Charles Jazz Weekend | Thurs 9/11 - Sun 9/14 | Downtown STC | A thrilling lineup of 45+ jazz performances spread across 20+ venues.

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