Author: Fox Valley Magazine

The Naperville Park District offers a wide variety of recreation activities to keep visitors of all ages entertained throughout the summer season. Whether you’re looking to spend a day out on the water kayaking with friends and family, or want to wiggle your toes in the sand and cool off, look no further than Naperville Park District’s Paddleboat Quarry and Centennial Beach. These historic facilities, located near the heart of Downtown Naperville, have brought joy to Naperville residents and visitors alike for decades, and they are the perfect place to make lasting summer memories. The Paddleboat Quarry is a great…

After a lengthy investigation, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser has exonerated two Aurora police officers in an officer-involved shooting that took place in Aurora on February 5 of last year. The investigation found no wrongdoing on the part of any member of the Aurora Police Department during the incident. In a statement issued by Mosser’s office, Mosser indicates that Aurora Police Officers Young and Sheldon did everything “by the book” when they responded to a domestic disturbance call at the 900 block of Colorado Avenue and encountered an individual exhibiting violent tendencies and armed with multiple knives. According…

A celebration of Juneteenth will be held at Dr. Martin Luther King Park (Farnsworth and Grand Avenue in Aurora) on Saturday, June 15 from 3:30pm – 7:30pm The celebration is being presented by African American Men of Unity, a non-profit organization founded in 1999 with the commitment to empowering underserved individuals and families with education, training and resources to fulfill their divine purpose, improve their quality of life and promote self-efficacy in impoverished communities. AAMOU serves at risk youth of all ethnicities, regardless of challenges, socio-economic background or academic deficiencies. We are here to support families struggling with managing the day-to-day…

The ever-popular Strawberry Festival returns this weekend at Windy Acres Farm in Geneva. New to the festival this season is Skee-Ball, Piggy Rides, Super Tunnel Elide, and Funnel Cakes. The farm stand will have lots of freshly picked strawberries, homemade strawberry glazed donuts, pies, tarts, breads, jams, soda – basically all things strawberry. Also on tap during the festival, brats, burgers and fresh sweet corn (10 am – 5 pm). The Beer Garden will be open (10 am – 5 pm) and there will also be live music or DJ. Gates Open 9-6pm. Attractions Open 10-5pm. $16.99 online/$17.99 per person…

A 27-year-old Elgin man was sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilt of repeatedly sexually assaulting a Streamwood middle school studemt. Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie L. Mosser announces that Judge Barsanti has sentenced Magdiel Perez to eight years of imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections. On April 11, Perez was found guilty of two counts of the offense of Criminal Sexual Assault, Class 1 felony, following a bench trial.   According to evidence presented at trial, on more than one occasion between May 1, 2022 and August 30, 2022, Perez sexually assaulted the victim, a student at…

Kanecountyconnects West Aurora High School Class of 2013 graduate Lauren Carlini was one of 12 athletes named to represent the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Carlini, a setter, and three other team members will make their Olympic debuts in Paris while eight other members won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Following graduation from West Aurora High School, the 6’1″ Carlini played volleyball at the University of Wisconsin in the Great Lakes USAV Region, graduating in 2017. She has been a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team since 2016 and has played professionally in Italy, Russia…

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.” General Order Number 3, issued by…

A male juvenile is in custody and facing multiple charges following an altercation on Old Post Road in the Boulder Hill subdivision of Oswego. According to the Kendall Country Sheriff’s Office, on Sunday at approximtely 12:17pm Sheriff’s deputies were called to investigate an altercation on Old Post Road involving an individual armed with a baseball bat who was threatening the residents of a nearby home. By the time deputies arrived on the scene, the individual had left the area and could not be immediately located. Later that day, at around 6;55pm, deputies were called back to the same location for…

Wine selections available at local wine stores and wineries in the Fox Valley area. BolleThis playful, sparkling wine is named with the Italian word Bolle, which means bubbles! It is a semi-sweet sparkling wine, carefully prepared in small batches. Much of the care and labor of this wine is done by hand as fermentation happens inside the bottle. We hand-turn the bottles daily, with an aging process of more than two years. Acquaviva Winery47W614 IL-38, Maple Park, IL 601511900 Mill St, Batavia, IL 60510 Bootlegger RedBootlegger Red is a bourbon barrel aged red blend featuring a delicate nose of plum…

As the city anticipates this weekend’s Blues on the Fox festival at RiverEdge Park, the City of Aurora’s Public Art Division has unveileded a new downtown mural, commemorating Aurora’s rich history of blues music. The mural, created by Chicago artist Max Sansing, features the likes of Buddy Guy, Tampa Red, Koko Taylor, B.B. King, and Stevie Ray Vaughan in an ode to the Leland Bluebird Recording Sessions, which took place between 1937 and 1938. The sessions, recorded inside Aurora’s former Leland Hotel, showcased titans of the Chicago and St. Louis blues scenes recording tracks for the Bluebird record label. (Photos…