Batavia celebrates summer with Windmill City Fest

Batavia’s annual Windmill City Festival begins July 10 and continues through July 13 at the Riverwalk in downtown Batavia. The fest will offer a carnival, musical entertainment, food vendors, a beer tent, and activities for all ages.

Schedule highlights include:

July 10: The festival will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. The band Back Country Roads will perform starting at 7:30 p.m.

July 11: Food booths and the beer garden will be open from 5 to 11 p.m. The Windmill Whirl 5K run will begin at 7 p.m. at the Batavia City Hall Plaza. Midwest Dueling Pianos will provide entertainment from 6 to 8 p.m. Arra, a classic rock cover band, will perform from 9 to 11 p.m. 

July 12: The Batavia Farmer’s Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on River Street. A craft show featuring more than 30 vendors will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Children can explore various vehicles from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. A pet parade will begin at 10 a.m. Food booths will open at 11 a.m. The carnival will open at noon and will feature $20 wristbands for unlimited rides. The beer garden will open at noon. Entertainment and demonstrations also will begin at noon. A bags tournament will begin at 6 p.m. The bands Gallery and Modern Day Romeos will provide musical entertainment from 6 to 11 p.m.

July 13: The festival will open from noon to 6 p.m. The carnival will offer a $20 wristband for unlimited rides. Entertainment will begin at 1 p.m. and will include the bands Student Body and Hillbilly Rock Stars. The schedule also will include an ice cream eating contest at 2 p.m. and a fire hose challenge at 3 p.m.

The festival is organized by the Batavia Park District, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, and the City of Batavia.

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Kane County Audubon to host bird walk

Visitors can join the Kane County Audubon Society for a bird walk at 8 a.m. July 5 at Nelson Lake in the Dick Young Forest Preserve in Batavia. 

Participants will meet in the parking lot near the Nelson Lake Road entrance to the preserve. The event will include a three-mile hike through the forest preserve. Participants are encouraged bring binoculars, wear appropriate clothing, and wear comfortable shoes. 

The event is free. The society conducts a bird walk the first Saturday of each month at Nelson Lake. For more information, call Terry Murray at 630-896-3129.

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Cougars continue home series with Peoria

The Kane County Cougars will continue a three-game home stand with the Peoria Chiefs at 6:30 p.m. July 2, Military Appreciation Night,  at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva.

The Cougars will offer a salute to America’s military, including a post-game fireworks show. The night also will include a T-shirt giveaway for the first 1,500 fans ages 21 and older, and live musical entertainment after the game.

The Cougars defeated Peoria, 6-1, in the series opener July 1. The Cougars lead the Midwest League, 54-27 and are 34-9 at home.

The third-game in the series will be played at 6:30 p.m. July 3. The Cougars will then begin a road trip that will include a three-game series in Clinton, Iowa, followed by a four-game series in the Quad Cities. The Cougars will resume play in Geneva July 11 with a four-game series with the Beloit Snappers.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call 630-232-8811.

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