Kane County Fair opens July 17

The Neverly Brothers is one of many bands that will provide musical entertainment at the Kane County Fair, which opens July 17 and continues through July 21 at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. The fair offers a wide variety of summer activities, including a carnival, free shows, exhibits, livestock displays, a battle of the bands, a demolition derby and championship bull riding. The fair also serves up a variety of food. The fair is a wonderful summer tradition and one you will want to attend. The carnival offers ticket specials and the fair's website offers coupons. 

More summer fun
For those seeking more summer fun, Batavia's Windmill City Fest continues through July 14 in downtown Batavia, and the 35th annual St. Sophia Greek Festival continues through July 14 on the grounds at St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 525 Church Road, Elgin. Both festivals offer food, entertainment and attractions for all ages.

Watch the Tour de France at Chez Moi

Chez Moi Cafe & Catering, 415 W. State St. in downtown Geneva is showing the Tour de France during breakfast hours mornings through July 21. Visitors can view the race and enjoy special offerings each week. For more information, call Chez Moi at 331-248-0654. 

Speaker to share the history of golf

The Batavia Public Library will host a presentation by golf historian Peter Longo at 7 p.m. July 16. Longo will present a humorous, fact-filled look at golf’s 600-year history. The library is located at 10 S. Batavia Ave., Batavia. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged and can be completed by calling 630-879-1393, ext. 200.

Movies for $1

Randall 15 IMAX, 550 N. Randall Road, Batavia, is screening children’s movies from 10 a.m. to noon daily during the summer. Admission is $1. “Space Chimps” is the featured movie July 15 through July 19, and “Ice Age: Continental Drift” will be featured July 22 through July 26. For more information, call 630-225-8400.

http://www.gqti.com/theaters.aspx?theaterid=1468

Library to offer felting program

Elburn's Town and Country Public Library will host felting for teens at 10:30 a.m. July 16. The program is for those in grades 6 to 12 and will be presented by Natasha Lehrer of Esther’s Place in Big Rock. The library is located at 320 E. North St., Elburn. Participants are asked to register for the program. For more information, call 630-365-2244.

Cougars to host Bark in the Park

The Kane County Cougars will celebrate man’s best friend when the team hosts Bark in the Park at 6:30 p.m. July 17 at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva. The event will include a dog parade, contests and an appearance by the Fly Dogs. Dogs will have free admission to the lawn area. A water station and a doggie restroom will be available. For more information, call 630-232-8811.  The Cougars will play the Great Lakes Loons. 

A Celebration in Chocolate

Interiors for Business, 409 N. River St., Batavia, will host a Celebration in Chocolate from 6 to 9 p.m. July 19. The evening will feature wine, chocolate to celebrate the unveiling of the poster for the 2013 Art in Your Eye Fine Art Show and Festival. Tickets are $10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 630-220-1425. This year's festival will be conducted Sept. 21 and Sept. 22 in downtown Batavia.

Geneva Jake's to close July 29

Rick Nagel at Geneva Patch recently reported that Geneva Jake's, 407 S. Third St. in downtown Geneva will close its doors later this month after a five-year run. The store is now conducting a final sale. I'm a big fan of the store and have enjoyed Geneva Jake's postings on Facebook. Lori and I like to support independent businesses, and we're disappointed to see this one close. On a related note, Three B (Brothers, Burgers and Beer) at 7 W. State St. in downtown Geneva recently closed its doors, according to a report by the Kane County Chronicle’s Brenda Schory. The business had been open less than year.

A boat-load of fish, but not a world record

One of the more interesting news stories of the past week, in my opinion, concerned Johnny Wilkins' effort on July 5 to set a new world record for the number of fish caught in a 24-hour period. Wilkins, a La Grange resident, caught and released 2,011 fish using a rod and a simple hook at an Oakbrook Terrace pond, according to a report in the Chicago Tribune. As impressive as that number is, Wilkins was 638 fish shy of the record 2,649 fish, which was set in 2011 in Minnesota. Wilkins said he needed to catch 1.8 fish per minute to break the record. Wilkins told the Tribune he had trained for six months to develop his upper body strength. He also said he plans to to make another try for the record next year. I wish you well in your endeavors, Mr. Wilkins.

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