🍺 It’s Oktoberfest season

Most of us are familiar with Oktoberfest, and some of us beer nerds are even aware that the tradition stems from the world’s largest annual beer festival in Munich, Germany.

But where did the tradition come from — and why is it celebrated in September? You’ll find those answers in this detailed history of Oktoberfest.

In the meantime, here are some of the local events you should plan for:

Sturdy Shelter, Batavia | TODAY (9/12) - Sunday (9/15): A jam-packed four-day schedule includes stein packages for pre-purchase, food trucks, live music, a costume competition and a photo booth. Plus the obligatory stein-hoisting competition, but with a twist — winners will have a chance to compete for a spot in the State Steinholding Championship in Normal, IL.

Penrose Brewing, Geneva | Saturday (9/21): Break out the lederhosen for a day of family fun, beer and live music. We wandered over to this one last year and it was a hoot.

Sidecar Supper Club, Batavia | Saturday (9/28): Details to be announced, but you can expect their famously extensive craft beer selection, German fare and live music.

Obscurity Brewing, Elburn | Saturday (9/28): Axe throwing, anyone? With all that space in their outdoor bar, it would shock me if Obscurity didn’t throw a heck of an Oktoberfest party.

Riverlands Brewing, St. Charles | Saturday (9/28) - Sunday (9/29): Day one of the annual fest features six straight hours of live music providing the soundtrack for steins full of Marzen beer, traditional German food and a stein-holding competition. Day two offers similar shenanigans.

Batavia VFW | Saturday (10/12): Better late than never, the Batavia veterans organization gets in on the action with the standard Oktoberfest activities and bonus souvenir mugs.

This isn’t necessarily an all-encompassing list — we’ll make sure to feature additional Oktoberfest events in future editions of the newsletter.

📰 News to use

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☑️ State breakup? Downstate officials in seven counties added a ballet question this fall asking voters whether Illinois should be split in two — separating Cook County from everywhere else.

☑️ Going green: Batavia’s single-use bag fee generated nearly $200K in its first year, which the city plans to use for funding environmental initiatives.

☑️ Forest preserve referendum: Kane County will ask voters to weigh in on increasing the limiting rate for the Forest Preserve District on November’s ballot. Here are the details.

🔒 Enrollment impacts: Based on initial data, Geneva school board officials believe the controversial Charles Farm development (if approved) could result in 500+ more students in the district.

☑️ Free COVID tests: If you’re interested in obtaining free COVID-19 tests, bookmark COVIDTests.gov and remember to place an order at the end of the month.

☑️ Road closures

• The Wilson and Prairie Street railroad crossings in Batavia will be closed to traffic from Saturday (9/14) through Monday (9/16) for railroad work.

• LaFox Road just north of of Keslinger in Blackberry Township will be closed this weekend as well.

• Main Street in St. Charles will close temporarily Friday (9/13) for the STC East Homecoming Parade.

🏘️ In the community

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☑️ “Essence” of Batavia: The Peace Bridge has become perhaps the most photographed place in Batavia. This video tells the story of how the brainchild of Craig Foltos became a permanent iconic fixture in Batavia.

☑️ Loss of a leader: The St. Charles community honored the memory of Bob Gorecki, a long-standing local attorney, volunteer and veteran who passed away in August.

🔒 Wright restoration: A Geneva resident has received a Wright Spirit Award from the Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy for her decades-long dedication to restoring the 1906 Hoyt House.

☑️ River protection: On Sep. 21, individuals and groups across the Fox Valley are spearheading cleanup and restoration events for “It’s Our Fox River Day.” Check out local volunteer events, including four in St. Charles.

☑️ Storied institution: The United Methodist Church of Geneva just kicked off its 185th anniversary celebration — a commemoration of its rich history and its potential for the future.

☑️ Philanthropic fitness: Want to get fit while giving back? Literacy Volunteers Fox Valley — a nonprofit group that offers literacy tutoring for local residents — is running a one-month virtual “Trek for Literacy” starting Saturday (9/14).

🎸 Live music

From soloists to quintets and big bands, St. Charles Jazz Weekend will put a diverse array of performances on display this weekend — about 40, in fact. Get the full Jazz Weekend lineup and schedule here.

Here are the rest of the weekend performances across Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles.

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🌰 A celebration of all things autumn

The Little Traveler’s August 2024 Almanack has arrived!

The seasonal guide is packed with exciting discoveries, Halloween essentials and a host of programs and events coming up soon. The sooner you dive in, the sooner you can start planning your autumn adventures.

🏬 Local biz

☑️ Altiro on Third: Altiro Latin Fusion — a super popular tapas-style restaurant with a location on Anderson Boulevard in Geneva — plans to open a new downtown space on Third Street.

☑️ Smash Saturday: FoxFire in Geneva will be serving up their succulent Ultimate Smash Burger for just $5 on Saturdays from 11AM-3PM.

🗓️ Events & things to do

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☑️️ St. Charles Jazz Weekend | Thurs 9/12 - Sun 9/15 | Various Venues, STC | Choose from 40 jazz performances over four days.

🎟️ Geneva Car Wash| Fri 9/13, 9AM-2PM | Geneva High School | Get your ride polished up and raise money for the GHS Special Olympics Basketball Team.

☑️️ Second Fridays | Fri 9/13, 6-9PM | Batavia Arts District | Check out a new art exhibition and enjoy live music, food and socializing.

🎟️ Comedy Night!| Fri 9/13, 7-10PM | Pollyanna Brewing, STC | Get ready to laugh your face off at hysterical local comedians.

☑️️ Touch-a-Truck | Sat 9/14, 10AM-2PM | Kane County Judicial Center, STC | Kids get to learn about emergency vehicles and chat with first responders.

☑️️ All Wheels Show | Sat 9/14, 11AM-3PM | Riverside Community Church, STC | A car show and family fest with awards, live music and kids’ activities.

🎟️ An Apple Afternoon | Sat 9/14, 12:30-2:20PM | Primrose Farm, STC | Take the family out for apple picking, apple baking and tractor rides.

🎟️ Yes and…Fest | Sun 9/15, All Day | Batavia Fine Arts Centre | An improv celebration with talented high school improvisers from across Northern Illinois.

☑️️ Heirloom Apple Fest | Sun 9/15, 1-4PM | LeRoy Oakes, STC | Bring the kids to learn about the famous fruit and try interesting varieties.

🏈 Note: Both Batavia and St. Charles East High Schools host their Homecoming football games on Friday (9/13).

🌖 Weather snapshot

☀️ Today: High 89F | Low 63F | Summer lingers

🌤️ Friday: High 80F | Low 63F | Gorgeous

🌤️ Saturday: High 83F | Low 63F | Idyllic weekend

🌤️ Sunday: High 82F | Low 63F | Go Bears

📖 Thanks for reading

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