The Aurora Historical Society will hold its 57th annual Independence Day celebration at the William Tanner House Museum from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 4.
The event will take place on the museum grounds at Oak Avenue and Cedar Street on Aurora’s near West
Side.
The celebration is a free, family-oriented event open to the whole community, Aurora Historical Society officials said.
During the event, the historic William Tanner House, built in 1857, will be open for tours.
Outside on the museum grounds, there will be a petting zoo, face painting and balloon creations, organizers said. Hot dogs, chips, drinks and ice cream will be available for purchase.
Entertainment will include juggler Andy Head from 12:15 to 1 p.m. At 1 p.m., the children in attendance will gather to ring the historic bells on the site, including the old Center School bell and Aurora’s Liberty Bell. The bell-ringing ceremony commemorates the first ringing of the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia upon adoption of the Declaration of Independence, Historical Society officials said.
The ringing of the bells will be followed by a patriotic concert by the American Legion Band. The afternoon will conclude with a pie-eating contest, organizers said.
For information on the event, call the Aurora Historical Society’s offices at 630-906-0650, go to www.aurorahistory.org or go to the group’s Facebook page, facebook.com/aurorahistory.
Concerts in the Park set in Geneva
The Geneva Park District will offer its annual Concerts in the Park series in July at River Park at 151 N. River Lane along the Fox River in Geneva.
The free events will be held on Wednesdays beginning the second week in July, and all ages are invited to attend, organizers said.
Those attending can bring their lawn chairs and blankets to River Park for an evening of live entertainment, according to a press release about the series. Concerts will begin at 7 p.m. and run until 8:30 p.m. Food trucks will be on site, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase, organizers said.
The 2024 Concerts in the Park lineup includes on July 10 Mr. Myers, playing “Caribbean rock,” and GV’s Italian Street Food truck will be on site; on July 17, country band Hillbilly Rockstarz will perform, and Hippie Grilled Cheese Co. food truck will be at the park.
On July 24, FeelGood Party Band will play music from the 1960s to today, with K’s Vending food truck on site; and the series will close on July 31 with The Stingrays playing rock music of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s, with Waffadilla food truck at the park.
In the event of inclement weather, the concerts will be canceled. For more information about Concerts in the Park, go to www.genevaparks.org or call 630-232-4542.
Hike planned for parents with strollers
A special hike for parents with strollers has been scheduled by the Kane County Forest Preserve District.
The hike will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2, at Muirhead Springs Forest Preserve at 42W855 Bahr Road in Hampshire.
The interpretive hike will highlight local ecology and the beauty of the preserve, district officials said.
The hike will stick to paths that are friendly for strollers, officials said.
Advance registration is required for the free program. To register, go to www.kaneforest.com/register, call 630-444-3190 or email programs@kaneforest.com.
To view a full roster of Forest Preserve District of Kane County programs, go to www.kaneforest.com or find the district on social media by searching @forestpreserve.
Will County recruiting judges for upcoming election
Will County is seeking to recruit and train about 500 new election judges from both major political parties to serve in the Nov. 5 election, a news release from the Will County Clerk’s Office said.
Election judge applicants must live in Will County, be registered to vote and complete training, the release said. College students and high school juniors and seniors are encouraged to apply.
High school students must have a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale and obtain written approval from a principal, teacher and parent. Student applications will be available when school begins, the release said.
Application forms are available at www.willcountyclerk.gov to apply and schedule training. Applicants can also email the clerk’s office at electionjudge@willcounty.gov.
Election judges receive $200 for training and working Election Day with other opportunities for additional pay.
Earlier this year, the clerk’s office trained about 1,500 election judges who served in the March primary election, the release said.
Scarecrow Contest applications available
Applications are now available to take part in the Scarecrow Contest that will be part of St. Charles Scarecrow Weekend planned for Oct. 11 to 13 in downtown St. Charles.
Applications can be found online at www.scarecrowfest.com/scarecrowcontestapplication. For those who want to print out and complete the contest application, the form can be mailed to or dropped off at the St. Charles Business Alliance at 2 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174.
The deadline to submit an application is Sept. 15, event organizers said.
There are prizes given for winners in the contest. In the Mega/Mechanical Category, first place receives $500, second place receives $350 and third place receives $250. For the three other categories – the Business Category, Clubs/Not-for-Profit/Schools Category and Individual Category – first place receives $200, second place receives $150 and third Place receives $100.
For more information on Scarecrow Weekend, go to www.scarecrowfest.com.
Renovation work closes Duerr Forest Preserve until fall
Jon J. Duerr Forest Preserve in South Elgin is closed for renovations through September, according to a post on the Forest Preserve District of Kane County’s Facebook page.
Work being done includes repairs to the parking lots near the trolley station and Fox River; new shelters and restrooms; realigned bike trails to enhance accessibility to River Bend Trail; and a new ADA-accessible boat and kayak launch.
The work should be done sometime in early September, the post said.
For more information, email TeggeZach@kaneforest.com.
