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Local Memorial Day happenings
📸 Credit: City of St. Charles
Memorial Day weekend is at our fingertips — and if you’re staying local, there are plenty of ways to honor the occasion.
From parades, services, and pancake breakfasts in Geneva and St. Charles to an annual Batavia herring breakfast, we’ve rounded up what’s happening in the Tri-Cities on Monday. Plus, we take a brief look back at Tri-Cities Memorial Day traditions, some of which go back more than a century.
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☕ Maple Leaf’s amazing café coffee? You can brew it at home, too
Once you pay a visit to Maple Leaf Coffee House in St. Charles, it doesn’t take long to realize that they take their coffee seriously.
The owner Alex imports, blends, and roasts every bean himself, in small batches, fresh every week. Whatever you take home is the same coffee they pour at the café — from Toronto Blend (bright, sweet, and chocolaty) to the Hartford Espresso Blend (bold, smoky, and smooth).
He's been roasting at Maple Leaf's roastery and retail shop in Roselle since 2018, where the selection runs well beyond what's on the café shelf. Stop by in person or order online with pickup in St. Charles.
☑️ River ruling: St. Charles officials advanced a resolution aiming to keep the Fox River dam impoundment in place, which comes after years of public debate over the dam’s future and eliminates the task force that spent more than a year studying the issue.
☑️ Seat at the table: Batavia officials created a citizen task force that will review the city's long-term electric utility plan and report findings back to council to help guide how the city manages its energy needs in the future. Applications are open to residents.
☑️ Leadership transition: Geneva's fire chief Michael Antenore is retiring after 30 years, and the city council appointed his deputy as the next chief to take over in August.
☑️ New road rules: Now that Batavia has adopted new rules regulating e-bikes, e-scooters, and other motorized devices, the city launched a summer "Roll Smart" campaign to help residents figure out where they can ride and which devices are off-limits.
☑️ Budget decisions: Kane County approved plans to use 2.7% in the budgeting process as the planned property tax hike, 2.5% raises for non-union employees, and over $4M in riverboat casino fund allocations for 2027.
☑️ Invasive ban: The Callery pear tree (a white-blossom tree common in the Chicagoland area) is getting phased out now that it has landed in the Illinois Exotic Weeds Act, which means residents won't be able to buy one starting in 2028.
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☑️ Local artist profile: Five decades into a writing life that spans poetry, satire, newspaper columns, and a Tri-Cities writing group he still leads, Richard Holinger opens up about rejection, persistence, and what success in the field actually means.
☑️ Pool season is here: The Quarry Beach in Batavia, Swanson Pool and Otter Cove in St. Charles, and Geneva's Sunset Pool all open on Saturday (5/23), with Geneva's Mill Creek pool following on June 6. Get all the details.
☑️ Can do attitude: Three local chambers are launching “Tri-Cities Canstruction,” a new competition where teams build 10-foot structures made entirely from canned food — with all donated cans going to local food pantries and the finished pieces going on display.
☑️ Back-to-school support: Big Hearts of Fox Valley is aiming to send 200 St. Charles students back to school with new backpacks and supplies, and is asking local residents and businesses to pitch in through drives and donations.
☑️ Shaping decisions: Geneva wants residents to weigh in on its first comprehensive plan update since 2003 by completing an online survey covering housing, downtown, transportation, and development as the city shapes its vision through 2040.
✳️ Summer camp: St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in downtown Geneva (right behind Graham's Chocolates) will host a weeklong evening Creative Arts Camp June 8-12 — offering kids dinner, hands-on activities inspired by a biblical tale, and FIVE built-in summer nights out for parents. Get details & sign up!
For many folks, Memorial Day weekend marks the gateway to summer — and Tri-Cities venues are certainly treating it as such.
Thanks to the long weekend, we have an even more diverse lineup than usual, complete with earlier weekend start times and a jam-packed Sunday schedule.
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🥂 Bocaditos is much more than empanadas and coffee
You already know Bocaditos for the delicious food, empanadas, and that Belgian chocolate mocha — but there's more to this downtown Batavia spot than most people realize.
Every Thursday, they run a 2-for-1 deal on alcoholic beverages, valid all day. Make sure to note that on your calendar.
And while you're there, browse the shelves — Bocaditos carries one-of-a-kind merch and a curated selection of books right inside the cafe. So pop in for a meal, stay for some light reading, and leave with a local gift for someone special.
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☑️ Future founders: St. Charles D303 students pitched their startup ideas at the 9th Annual INCubator Pitch Night, with three teams splitting $10K in seed funding — topped by a creative student concept focused on improving golfers' performance.
☑️ New salon: Siblings Allison Patrick-Yeager and Brandon Patrick spent their teenage years hanging out at Charlestowne Mall — and now they're opening their fourth OS Salon location in the new Fox Haven Square development next door.
✳️ Tech help for older adults: Picking up a phone or tablet shouldn't come with puzzlement, frustration, or a knot in your stomach. AllThumbs pairs older adults with one patient advisor (the same person every time) to help with devices, streaming, and spotting scams before they do damage. Read their origin story.
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✳️ School's out, Batavia: Zen Loft Collective and Bulldog's Red Hots downtown are throwing an exciting end-of-year community bash this Thursday (May 21, 4–7PM) with free hot dogs, giveaways, kids activities, and summer deals.
🎟️ Improv in the Moonlight feat. Great Lakes Comedy Troupe | Thu 5/21, 7:30PM–9PM | Moonlight Theatre, STC | Chicago's best improv actors perform live, food and drink available.
☑️ Cuisine at the Crossroads Food Truck Fest | Fri 5/22, 4:30PM–8:30PM | North Aurora Riverfront Park | Food trucks, live DJ, and family-friendly fun by the river.
☑️ Fox & Found Collective Market | Sat 5/23, 10AM–4PM | The Rustic Fox, North Aurora | Free outdoor market with 100+ pop-ups, handmade goods, baked treats, and music.
🎟️ Chicagoland Gems & Minerals Annual Show | Sat 5/23 & Sun 5/24 | Kane County Fairgrounds, STC | Gems, fossils, geode splitting, and Kids Korner for all ages.
☑️ Artisan Market on the Center Green | Sat 5/23, 11AM–4PM | Geneva Commons | Browse handmade goods from 50+ local makers, including baked bread and treats.
🎟️ Tuner Fest Chicago 2026 | Sat 5/23, 2PM–8PM | Northwestern Medicine Field, Geneva | Car show with food trucks, music, pop-ups, and all things car culture.
☑️ Turtle Races Fundraiser | Sat 5/23, 12PM–6PM | Riverlands Brewing, STC | Races begin at 2PM with food, raffle prizes, and music by Grant Milliren at 6PM.
☑️ Free Yoga in the Park | Sun 5/24, 12PM–1PM | Mount Saint Mary Park, STC | Join a free flowy somatic yoga flow near the waterfall bridge in the park.
🎟️ The "Perfect Couple" Line Dance | Sun 5/24, 12:30PM | Vargo's Dance, Geneva | Learn the viral Netflix line dance with a group, adults only, no pre-registration needed.
🎟️ 6th Annual Ruck to Remember | Sun 5/24, 10:30AM | Riverlands Brewing Company, STC | A 3.5-mile ruck walk honoring veterans, benefiting Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans.
Looking ahead:
🎟️ Dare2tri Relay Triathlon | Thu 6/18, 6PM | Otter Cove Park, STC | 3-person relay triathlon supporting Dare2tri athletes and adaptive sports programs.
Pets of the week
Introducing this week’s featured pets from Anderson Humane:
Karl is an 11-month-old, 30-pound Australian Cattle Dog mix with a friendly personality and a tail that never stops wagging. This happy boy loves meeting new people and is always ready to make a new friend.
Gristle is an adorable 6-year-old brown tabby with a sweet round face and an irresistibly cute look. A playful and affectionate boy, Gristle enjoys his toys and loves spending time near his people.
Ready to add a loyal new friend to your family? Visit Anderson Humane’s website or reach out to [email protected] or 847-697-2880.
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Final note: If you’ve been meaning to get your bike tuned up but haven’t found the time, Andrew Lee (a Geneva High School student who serves on the Bike & Pedestrian Committee with me) does local house calls as part of his mobile Tri City Bike Doctor service. Get the details here.
