Concert, holiday programs highlight upcoming events

Photo by Kevin Botterman

Concert puts spotlight on Broadway tunes
The St. Charles Public Library will host Two for One Broadway, a cabaret performance featuring Matt and Cynthia Gruel, at 2 p.m. Nov. 13. The show will feature music from seven Broadway shows from the 1940s to the present. Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. The show is part of the library’s Sunday Concert program. For more information or to register, call 630-584-0076. The library is located at 1 S. Sixth Ave., St. Charles.

Library program to feature Our Lady of Angels fire
Jim Gibbons will discuss the Our Lady of the Angels School fire during a program at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at the Geneva Public Library. The 1958 fire at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago claimed the lives of 92 children and three nuns.  Admission is free, but registration is encouraged. For more information, call 630-232-0780, ext. 251. On a personal note, my mother is still moved by her memories of the tragedy. Mom was raised in Chicago, but was residing in the suburbs at the time of the fire. I imagine the library's presentation will be a challenging but worthwhile experience for attendees old enough to remember the incident.

Senior center sets annual Holiday Craft Fair
The Oswego Senior Center will present its sixth annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 19. The fair will feature hand-made items by more than 65 artists and crafters. Admission is free. The fair also will include a cookie sale, door prizes and other attractions. The center is located at 156 E. Washington, Oswego.  For more information, call 630-554-5602.

Festival of Lights program welcomes the holidays
Batavia will welcome Santa and the holiday season during its annual Festival of Lights program from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 27 at the Batavia Riverwalk, 151 Island Ave., in downtown Batavia. 
    Santa is scheduled to arrive at 5:30 p.m. and will assist in lighting the community Christmas tree before sitting down to visit with children.
    The event will include a holiday craft fair, music, hayrides and other activities. Visitors can tour Christmas Tree Lane, a special attraction featuring 25 tress decorated by local businesses and organizations. Admission is free. Refreshments will be available for purchase.
    For more information, call 630-879-5235. The festival is presented by the Batavia Park District, the City of Batavia, Batavia MainStreet, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce and the Batavia Police Department.

Did you know:
The Kane County Farm Bureau recently shared some interesting facts about cranberries, including these tidbits:
• The first recorded yield of cranberries was grown and harvested in 1816 in Dennis, MA.
• Honeybees are used to pollinate cranberry crops.
• Wisconsin ranks No. 1 in cranberry production.
• Cranberries need sandy soil, abundant fresh water and a growing season from about May to October. Cranberries are grown in the dry bed and then beds are flooded with water.


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Elburn Lions to host book drive

Our friends at the Elburn Lions Club will conduct a book drive from 4 to 8 p.m. Oct. 17 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at Lions Community Park, 500 Filmore St., Elburn. Books can be dropped off at the park’s south garage on Stetzer Avenue. The club is collecting new and gently used books for ages 1 to 18. 

Arts center sets reception for faculty show

The Fine Line Creative Arts Center, 37W570 Bolcum Road, St. Charles, will host a reception Oct. 17 to celebrate the opening of the 2014 Faculty Show. The reception will be conducted from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and is open to the public. Admission is free. For more information about the event and gallery hours, call 630-584-9443. 

Haunted Quarry opens Oct. 17
The Batavia Park District’s Haunted Quarry opens Oct. 17 for the Halloween fright season at Hall Quarry Beach, 400 S. River St., Batavia. The Haunted Quarry will be open 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25. Admission is $8. 

Ride the rails with trolley museum's Ghost Story Train

The Fox Valley Trolley Museum will conduct its Ghost Story Train Oct. 18 and Oct. 25. The train will travel from the museum to the John Duerr Forest Preserve, where guests will hear ghost stories and enjoy treats around a campfire. The program is suitable for all ages, and guests are encouraged to attend in costume. Tickets are $13.50 for all ages and reservations are required. Trains will depart the museum at 5 p.m, 6:15  and 7:45. The museum is located at 365 S. LaFox St., (Route 31) in South Elgin. For more information, call 847-697-4676.

St. Charles church to host annual craft show

The St. Charles Episcopal Church will conduct its annual arts and craft show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 18. The juried show will include autumn and holiday decorations, jewelry, toys and more. Admission is free. The church is located at 994 N. Fifth Ave., St. Charles. 

Lions club offers up annual German dinner

The Elburn Lions Club will host its annual German Dinner from 4 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18. The buffet dinner will include bratwurst, pork loins, red cabbage, sauerkraut, spaetzel, German potato salad, pretzel rolls, dessert and coffee. A cash bar will offer German beer and wines. Tickets for the dinner are $13.50 for adults, $12.50 seniors age 65 and older, $9 for children ages 4 to 11. Children ages 3 and younger are admitted free. The club is located at 500 Filmore St., Elburn. For more information, call 630-365-6315.

St. Charles Park District, Steel Beam Theatre partner for Zombie 5K

The St. Charles Park District and the Steel Beam Theatre in St. Charles will partner to present Zombie Run, a 5K run and walk, at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 19 at Primrose Farm, 5N726 Crane Road, St. Charles. On-site registration will begin at 4 p.m. The registration fee is $25 for St. Charles Park District residents and $38 for nonresidents. Participants are encouraged to dress in costume, prizes will be awarded. For more information, go to www.stcparks.org.

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Time again for the St. Charles Fine Arts Show

The St. Charles Fine Art Show is May 25-26.

Courtesy photo

The Downtown St. Charles Partnership will present the 15th annual St. Charles Fine Art Show May 25 and May 26 on Riverside Avenue, between Route 64 and Illinois Avenue. The show will include 100 juried artists, demonstrations, live music and other attractions. The show is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Free parking is available at several nearby city lots. For more information about the event, call 630-443-3967.

History center looks at bygone occupations

The Geneva History Center continues its wonderful tradition of engaging presentations with Cobbler, Tailor and Trunkmaker: How My Grandpappies Made a Living at 7:30 p.m. May 23. Ginger Frere of the Newberry Library will discuss how some of our ancestors earned a living. The center is located at 113 S. Third St. in downtown Geneva. For more information, call 630-232-4951. 

Sugar Grove American Legion plans fundraiser

Our friends at the Sugar Grove American Legion Post 1211, 65 First St., Sugar Grove, will host a fundraiser starting at 6:30 p.m. June 1. Pulled pork sandwiches will be available for purchase for $5. Each sandwich will come with coleslaw and chips. The Duke Band will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. For more information about the event, call 630-466-9700.

You're correct — 2013 is wetter than usual

Gilbert Sebenste, the staff meteorologist at Northern Illinois University, reports our area has received 1.59 inches of rainfall equivalent as of May 22. On average, the area should receive 4.55 inches of rainfall equivalent by May 31. So far this year, the area has recorded 17.86 inches of rainfall equivalent. Our average annual liquid total should be 13.09 inches by May 31, according to Sebenste. For more of Sebenste's fine reporting about area weather and discussions about our climate, go to www.weather.admin.niu.edu.

Park district launches paddle boat season

The Batavia Park District will launch the paddle boat season May 25 near the Peg Bond Center at 151 Island Ave. in downtown Batavia. The paddle boats are available for rent from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Boats are available from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call the park district at 630-879-5235. 

Visit Geneva's French Market

The Geneva French Market will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 26 in the commuter Metra parking lot near Fourth and South streets in downtown Geneva. Visitors will find fresh produce, tasty treats, crafts and other products at the market. The market is open Sundays through Nov. 10. For more information, call 312-575-0286. 

STC East junior named Athlete of the Week

Congrats to St. Charles East High School junior Jasper Koenen on being named the Kane County Chronicle's Athlete of the Week on May 22. Koenen won the singles title May 18 at the Geneva Boys Tennis Sectional. The Chronicle features Koenen in an interview here.

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Geneva to host Festival of the Vine

Geneva's Festival of the Vine begins Friday, Sept. 7.

Kane County Chronicle photo

Geneva will host its annual three-day Festival of the Vine event beginning Sept. 7 in downtown Geneva. The event celebrates autumn and offers food, attractions and a variety of wines for purchase. Local restaurants set up beneath a large tent and offer three of their most popular items. Visitors buy tickets to sample the various offerings. The festival also features a crafts show, music, demonstrations and children's activities. For more information about the event, call the Geneva Chamber of Commerce at 630-232-6060.

Staff and guests at Wild Monk Gastropub conduct a ribbon-cutting.

Submitted photo

Wild Monk Gastropub conducts ribbon-cutting

St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte assisted owner Stratos Dimitrakakos at a ribbon cutting ceremony Aug. 30 at the restaurant, 51 S. First St., St. Charles. The eatery offers an extensive beer list and quality food. Sounds like a winning combination.

The Mystery Diner suggests a visit to Fio's Pizzeria in Campton Hills.

Kane County Chronicle photo

Mystery Diner endorses Fio's Pizzeria

While we're on the topic of fine food, the Kane County Chronicle's Mystery Diner recently endorsed a visit to Fio's Pizzeria in Campton Hills. Fio's offers a variety of pizzas, including more than a dozen versions of its signature thin-crust pizza. I consider the Mystery Diner a reliable source for dining suggestions, so I will try Fio's Pizzeria soon. 

Teen center to host skateboard contest
The Batavia Teen Center will host is third annual skateboard competition Sept. 9 at the Blackard Skate and Bike Park, 411 S. River St. Registration will begin at 10 a.m. at the park, and the contest will begin at noon.  For more information, call the Batavia Park District at 630-879-5235.

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Geneva Marine completes leadership training

Cpl. Neil O. Garity of Geneva.

Submitted photo

• Cpl. Neil O. Garity of Geneva recently received a non-commissioned officer sword aboard the USS Pearl Harbor after completing a non-commissioned officer leadership training program. Garity, 23, serves as a mortarman for Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/1. Congratulations, Cpl. Garity, and thank you for your service to our country.


• TriCity Family Services will present a Layperson's Guide to Mental Illness, a free workshop, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 22 at the St. Charles Public Library. The program is part of TriCity Family Services observation of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. The library is located at 1 S. Sixth St., St. Charles. For more information about the event, call 630-232-1070.


• The Batavia Park District and the Batavia Senior Citizens Club will host the fourth annual Super Savvy Senior expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 6 at the Eastside Community Center, 14 N. Van Buren St., Batavia. The free event will feature a variety of services available to local seniors and their caregivers. Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 630-879-5235.


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Time to search for Easter eggs

Mooseheart Child City and School will host a free Easter Egg Hunt from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., April 7. The event will offer family activities and refreshments. The egg hunt is for toddlers through age 10. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to bring their cameras for photos with the Easter Bunny. Mooseheart is located on Route 31, two miles north of Interstate 88. For more information about the event, call 630-906-3601.


• The Batavia Park District will host a children's Easter Egg Hunt at 10 a.m., March 31 at Prairie Path Park at Rotolo Middle School, 1501 S. Raddant Road. The park district also will host a Doggie Easter Egg Hunt at noon March 31 at the Batavia Bark Park, 40W101 W. Main St. Dog owners can bring their dogs to the park to search for treat-filled eggs. Registration will begin at 11:30 a.m. The event also will include a variety of vendors. For more information about the events, call the park district at 630-879-5235. 


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