Author: Fox Valley Magazine

The Fox Valley can get mighty hot in the summer. But the good news is that there are countless opportunities to cool off at the area’s beaches, pools and waterparks. We begin our series of profiles with the Fox Valley Park District’s Splash Country Water Park and Phillips Park. Splish, splash, slide and spray all summer long at the Fox Valley Park District’s outdoor aquatic facilities, where you control your pace of play. Both parks feature speedy slides full of twists, turns and tunnels; zero-depth pools and sandy play areas for the younger kiddos; and plenty of shaded zones to…

Welcome to our latest edition of Fox Valley Magazine’s 4 FOR THE WEEKEND where we remain unindicted…for now. So let’s get to it, starting with….. Keep On Truckin’ We’re not really sure when the whole food truck craze began in earnest. For us, the first time we even heard about such things was when we saw a movie about a hot-shot chef in LA who got fired and began his rebound by opening a humble food truck. We can’t remember the name of the movie. But you know it, we’re sure you do. Regardless, the craze is in full tilt,…

The Kane County Fair celebrates 154 years of traditional summer family fun and 4-H on Wednesday, July 12 through Sunday, July 16, 2023 at the Kane County Fairgrounds in St. Charles. It’s a big, fun-fair, with a small-town feel, filled with grandstand events, popular live bands, unlimited carnival rides, 4-H animals and competitions, outdoor kids events, and weekend Classic Car Show. The cute racing pigs are back. Watch the Balsters Sheer Magic Show.  Get up close with 4-H animals or at the petting zoo. New this year: Rhinestone Roper. Live it up and take in the sights & sounds of…

Naper Settlement’s annual Naper Nights Community Concert Series kicks off its 2023 season with local and national tribute acts performing the hits of Jimi Hendrix, Parliament Funkadelic, and more on June 16-17 from 5-10 p.m. Nationally recognized singer, songwriter, and guitarist Brandon “Taz” Niederauer (Taz Plays Hendrix) will take the stage at the first Naper Nights of the season. Naper Nights celebrates historic milestones in rock music and pop culture with themed tribute concerts in June, July, and August. A variety of food and alcoholic beverages will be available at each concert. The New York-based Taz Plays Hendrix will make…

Who knew Six Flags was this popular? Yesterday morning, the Gurnee Police Department issued an alert about a bear sighting – yes, you read that right – in the town. “This morning around 8:45 AM, the Gurnee Police Department was made aware of a possible bear sighting in the area of Hunt Club Road and Route 132. Our officers immediately checked the area, but the bear was nowhere to be found. “If you see a bear in Gurnee, please do not approach the animal. Contact our dispatch center at 847-599-7000 ext 0, and will work with our local wildlife authorities…

The food trucks are back! Chicagoland’s best street food will be on hand at the 3rd Annual Montgomery Street Eats Festival in Montgomery. Situated along River Street in downtown Montgomery with views of the Fox River, Montgomery Park offers plenty of shade, picnic tables, open space, and a playground for foodies of all ages to enjoy the day. Sample food and beverages from 10+ of the area’s best food trucks. A beer tent will also be available for those 21 and over. The festival will be held Saturday, June 10 from 11am to 7pm in Montgomery Park, 301 River Street…

By PETER HANCOCK – Capitol News Illinois, and Fox Valley Magazine Democrats just made it a lot more difficult for conservatives to challenge the constitutionality of laws and executive orders in the state of Illinois. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday signed House Bill 3062, which requires that people who file lawsuits in state courts challenging the constitutionality of a state law, administrative rule or executive order will now have to file those cases in either Sangamon or Cook counties. The new law applies only to cases brought against the state or any of its officers, employees or agents in which the…

Barbeque and blues junkies alike will be in seventh heaven this weekend as Duke’s Blues & BBQ presents the 2023 Duke’s Blues & BBQ Blues Festival, this year held in Carpentersville. Presented by non-profit Taste The Love NFP, the festival includes two days of great barbeque and an impressive lineup of blues performers. The Friday lineup includes: 5:00pm-5:30pmDundee Crown HS Marching Band 6:00pm-7:00pmBlues Hart 7:30pm-8:30pmIvan Singh 9:00pm-11:00pmNu Blu Saturday’s festivities include: National Anthem by Tony Dunaj 12:00pm-12:30pmTammy Johnson 1:00pm-2:30pmAlicia “Ya Yah” Townsend 3:00pm-4:00pmRuth Ward “Mama Bear” 4:30pm-6:00pmSharay Reed 6:30pm-7:30pmBig Daddy Mojo 8:00pm-9:00pmBottled Blues 9:15pm-11:00pmLuke Repass Food and drinks will be…

The ever-popular Strawberry Festival returns this weekend at Windy Acres Farm in Geneva. New to the festival this season is Camila’s Candy Shop, Lucy’s Scoops Ice Cream Truck and the Silo – a great place to lounge the day with a refreshing drink. 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…

The Kane County Cougars return to Northwestern Medicine Field this weekend and have a few surprises in store. On Friday, two of the superheroes from the Marvel-verse (steady on there, DC fans) will make an appearance as part of Marvel Super Hero night. The first 1,500 fans will receive a Marvel poster and there will be appearances from Thor and Black Panther. Don’t forget to dress up as your favorite character! On Saturday, it everybody’s favorite aquatic sponge – SpongeBob SquarePants. As part of Nickelodeon SpongeBob SquarePants Night, SpongeBob and Patrick will be making an appearance in addition to post-game…