Just Around the Corner Last Week of August

Short work week, short list of events, short column. Things are pretty quiet while we sweat out the last week of August. We'll cool off a bit mid-week before temperatures climb back into the eighties for the weekend. Traditionally, the upcoming Labor Day weekend has always been the last hurrah for summer. So it's appropriate that we're having summer weather.

Labor Day also means a four-day holiday from school and the return of the Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival after it was washed out last year. With much of Island Park submerged in the waters of the Fox last summer, not enough of the park could be restored in enough time to host the annual event. So this year will mark the 41^st and 42^nd anniversary of the festival, which will run from Sunday, September 2^nd through Monday September 3^rd.

The rest of the week is pretty quiet though with the Geneva Park District doing some annual housecleaning, people planning weekend getaways, and everyone else operating on a holiday schedule.

The main event this week is the Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival in Island Park on Sunday, September 2^nd, and Monday, September 3^rd, Labor Day. Performances will be showing on 8 different stages all day both days from 11:00 AM until 6:00 PM. More than 100 individual musicians will perform. The Old Time Community Barn Dance will be held Sunday from 6:00 PM until 7:30 OM. Following the barn dance, you can listen to ghost stories in the main tent from 7:30 PM until 10:00 PM. Craft demonstrations will be in the art area. There will also be music, folk singing, and yodeling lessons. There will be open mike sessions and anyone is invited to bring an instrument and jam with the musicians. Food and refreshment will be available in the park.

The Geneva Park District is shutting down many of its summer programs. Sunset Pool closes for the season at 6:00 PM on Monday, September 3^rd, Labor Day. The Butterfly House at Peck Farm will remain open until mid-September. The Stone Creek miniature golf course at Wheeler Park will be open only on weekends through October 8^th. Saturday hours will then be from 11:00 AM until 10:00 PM and Sunday hours will be 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM.

Early registration for the Harvest Hustle continues through September 10^th. After that, the registration fee goes up $5. The race will be held September 22^nd.

Geneva Park District

Monday evening, August 27^th, from 6:00 PM until 7:30 PM, the Geneva Public Library is hosting Volunteen Orientation. The Volunteen program is for teens wishing to volunteer at the library. The Fall program begins September 4^th and runs through November 30^th. Volunteers can serve as part of the library program or running crews. Tuesday morning is Discovery Playtime for children aged 2 -5 accompanied by a caregiver. The program uses playtime to teach exploration and socialization skills. Friends of the Library Book Sort will be held Tuesday evening. Learn about the OS that powers many smartphones and tablets in the Android for Beginners class for adults on Wednesday evening.

Drop-In Volunteering for Library Resources held early Thursday evening gives teens a chance to contribute to the definitive teen guide to the library. The Anime and Magna Afternoon for Grades 6 – 8 gives middle-schoolers a chance to get together with other fans to discuss, watch clips, make crafts, and enjoy Japanese snacks. This is a rare Sunday event being held September 2^nd, between 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM.

Geneva Public Library

The last Geneva Classic Car Show of the year is this Thursday evening, August 30^th, at the Kane County Courthouse parking lot at Fourth and James Streets. The show starts at 6:00 PM and runs until 8:00 PM, weather permitting. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce will decide by 3:00 PM on Thursdays whether to cancel the show or not. Call them at 630-232-6060 to check on cancellations. Only two more shows left shows after this week, so don’t miss out.

Geneva Chamber of Commerce

On the Horizon

The Autumn Fair will be held at Peck Farm on September 15^th.

The Harvest Hustle 5K benefitting the Geneva Park District Scholarship Fund will be held at Peck Farm on September 22^nd.

The Playhouse 38 youth production of Peter Pan runs the last two weekends of September.

The Geneva History Museum holds it annual BBQ fundraiser on September 13^th.

The Geneva History Museum Brown Bag program resumes September 11^th, with a history of the Geneva Garden Club.

For those of you suffering withdrawal symptoms, the Geneva History Museum’s Geneva on Wheels tours resume on September 19^th.