🧠 Local spots for trivia night

Midwest winters offer a chance to slow down. More time to catch up on books you’ve been meaning to read or watch that five-season TV series (ahem, Six Feet Under) you’ve been putting off for two decades.

But with fewer events and happenings around town, cabin fever can set in after a spell. Thankfully, a variety of Tri-Cities spots have just the remedy: Trivia and bingo nights.

After encountering several of these during the first week of the month, I thought you might be interested in a local roundup of upcoming weekly and one-off outings:

Regular events

• Sturdy Shelter Brewing, Batavia : Trivia with Oliver on Tuesday nights from 7-9PM.

• McNally’s Irish Pub, St. Charles: Pub Quiz (that’s European for “trivia”) every Tuesday from 7-9PM.

• Pal Joey’s, Batavia: Rockstar Bingo with groovy music every Tuesday at 7PM.

• Tanna Tap, Geneva: Trivia Tuesday is back for 2025, starting at 7:30PM. They also have music bingo every other Friday at 7PM.

• 3rd Street Pub, St. Charles: Dirty Bingo every first Tuesday of the month at 8PM. Note: This one is adult themed.

• Geneva Winery (Batavia location): Wingo (wine & bingo) Wednesday every week from 6-8PM. Note that the next event will be on Tuesday (1/14).

• Brother Chimp Brewing, North Aurora: Every Wednesday they alternate between trivia and music bingo from 7-9PM.

• Global Brew Tap House, St. Charles: General Trivia every Wednesday from 7:30-9:30PM.

• Riverlands Brewing, St. Charles: Winter Trivia League every Thursday from 7-9PM. Hosted by Chicago Trivia Guys.

• Sidecar Supper Club, Batavia: Team Trivia every Thursday from 7:30-9PM. Gift cards to the top three performers.

Standalone events

• Yellowstone Trivia | Tues 1/14, 7PM | Flagship on the Fox, STC | The first Trivia Tuesday of 2025. TBD if more will follow.

• Trivia Fundraiser for Geneva History Museum | Thurs 1/16, 6PM | Kane County Cougars Stadium, Geneva | Includes an appetizer buffet, a 50/50 raffle and a cash bar.

• Chicagoland Dog Rescue Bingo Night Fundraiser | Thurs 1/16, 7PM | Evergreen Pub, STC | All for a great cause!

• 90s Pop Culture Trivia | Wed 1/22, 6:30PM | Preservation, Geneva | Party time, excellent! Nothing better than 90s pop culture.

📰 News to use

☑️ Neighborly growth: Kendall County (which includes Oswego and Yorkville) is the fastest growing county in Illinois. Meanwhile, Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles each saw a slight population dip from 2020 to 2023.

☑️ Brazen robbery: Batavia police said an armed robber stole cash and lottery tickets from a Speedway gas station on E. Wilson Street on Monday before walking away from the scene. The incident remains under investigation.

☑️ Seasonal sickness: A Kane County respiratory illness report provides recent data on influenza, COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) based on emergency room visits, lab tests, ICU admissions and illnesses at schools.

☑️ Energy bills: Nicor Gas just proposed a record $309M rate hike to fund infrastructure upgrades, which could potentially increase charges for suburban customers by over 20%. The Citizens Utility Board vowed to fight it.

☑️ It’s official: Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns formally announced that he’ll seek a seventh term in the April 1 consolidated election, saying his “passion and energy to serve is as strong as ever.” Read the full release.

☑️ Rail construction: Geneva officials said that the commuter parking lots south of the train tracks (two on Third Street and the Route 31 overflow lot) will remain closed throughout the winter for construction. Here’s more on the Third Main Line project.

🏘️ In the community

☑️ Community leadership: Long-time nonprofit leader Rebecca "Becky" Greenlee took the helm as the new Executive Director of the St. Charles Chamber of Commerce on Monday (1/6) following an extensive search.

☑️ Outdoor art fest: The Saint Charles Arts Council announced plans to hold its second Plein Air artist showcase event in August of this year — where it will award more than $5K in prizes. Local artists can now apply to participate.

☑️ Real ID update: The deadline for getting your Illinois Real ID is approaching in May with plans for “progressive enforcement.” Here’s the latest info about how and where to obtain the ID.

☑️ Fascinating river facts: The Conservation Foundation will partner with groups in Kane County to offer a monthly presentation series about the Fox River at the Baker Community Center in St. Charles. The first event will be held on Wednesday (1/15).

☑️ Public transport: Ride in Kane — which offers curb-to-curb paratransit services for local seniors, individuals with disabilities and low-income residents — announced a fare increase starting in February.

☑️ Instant windfall: Someone in South Elgin won $10M on a scratch-off lottery ticket purchased at a local gas station.

🎸 Live music

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A week removed from the holidays, we’re already seeing a beefed-up weekend live music lineup. If you’re looking to try a new venue, Vintage 53 in downtown St. Charles has performances scheduled for both Friday and Saturday — plus a Saturday night show at Old Towne in Wasco.

🛍️ Local biz

☑️ B-Town gems: Batavia MainStreet has invited the community to vote for local businesses that deserve recognition for helping make the city a great place to live and do business during the past year.

☑️ Turning two: Chicken Salad Chick in Batavia is celebrating its second “birthday” on Friday (1/10) with raffles and promotions.

☑️ Monday deals: Nosh in Geneva is offering half-priced burgers (delicious photo here) as a Monday lunch special. Craft Urban is offering half-priced burgers with $5 beers while Coroco Coffee has two-for-one Mondays.

☑️ Secure your spot: It may seem like the St. Charles St. Patrick's Parade is a long way away, but winter will be over in a blink. The entry form is now open for organizations interested in participating.

🗓️ Events & Things to Do

The 🎟️ symbol indicates an admission fee.

☑️ Ed’s Studio | Fri 1/10, 12PM - Sun 1/2, 4PM | Water Street Studios, Batavia | A celebration of life, art and work with a reception at 6PM on Friday.

☑️ Linen, the Most Useful Fiber | Sat 1/11, 9AM-3PM | Creek Bend Nature Center, STC | Get expert guidance and demonstrations of the art of fiber spinning.

🎟️ All Animal Expo | Sat 1/11, 10AM-3PM | Kane County Fairgrounds, STC | Get up close to exotic animals and discover pet-related products.

🎟️ Fondu Night in the Front Lounge | Wed 1/15, 6-8PM | Preservation, Geneva | Treat yourself to delicious, shareable fondue while sipping wine.

💥 Travel planning: Looking to escape the cold this winter or spring? Check out this overview of the biggest 2025 travel trends, this Conde Nast list of the top 2025 spring break destinations for adults, and this NYT feature on 52 places to go this year.

🌖 Weather snapshot

🌤️ Today: High 26F | Low 21F | Cold + sun

❄️ Friday: High 29F | Low 20F | Slippery dusting

⛅️ Saturday: High 32F | Low 21F | Breezy

❄️ Sunday: High 31F | Low 20F | Flurries

📖 Thanks for reading

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