Author: Fox Valley Magazine

Windy City Smokeout, the nation’s premier outdoor country music and BBQ festival, returns to Chicago’s iconic United Center (1901 W. Madison Street) on July 13-16, 2023. The 2022-winner of the Academy of Country Music Awards “Festival of the Year,” the Windy City Smokeout will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an impressive lineup featuring some of country music’s biggest names and up-and-coming talents, along with the best BBQ and craft beer from around the country. THE BANDS ACM award-winning promoter and Windy City Smokeout co-founder, Ed Warm, handpicked the weekend’s lineup including GRAMMY award winner Zac Brown Band, much-decorated ACM and…

The Libido Funk Circus experience is coming to South Elgin Friday, July 14, at Panton Mill Park in South Elgin. Libido Funk Circus dates back to 1996 when a group of guys from Chicago’s original music scene decided to throw a disco party for their closest friends. When the disco band they wanted to hire was out of their budget, they decided… “What the heck, let’s do it ourselves!” They donned some disco attire, learned about 30 disco tunes and crushed it. The following weeks, the offers for more and more shows poured in and little did they know, that…

Batavia MainStreet will host its annual Cocktails in the Park Fundraiser this July 22 from 7-10pm at Appleton Park.   Entry tickets for the event are $40 in advance and can be purchased at downtownbatavia.com through 12pm on July 21. Tickets can also be purchased at the door the night of the event for $45. Tickets include small plates from downtown restaurants, a collectible whiskey glass (first come, first serve), live music and entry to the event.   Drink tickets are also available online or can be purchased at the event, prices are $7 for one or $60 for 10. Attendees can…

Pat Fitzgerald has been the embodiment of Northwestern football for almost 26 years. Starting with his playing days which culminated in Northwestern’s first Rose Bowl appearance since 1949, continuing with five years as an assistant coach and then 17 as head coach, Fitzgerald has been far and away the most successful Wildcat in the program’s history. His tenure ended abruptly Monday with this firing by university president Michael Schill in the wake of a hazing scandal that allegedly involved “forced participation, nudity and sexualized acts of a degrading nature, in clear violation of Northwestern policies and values,” according to the…

A shooting Monday evening on Elgin’s northeast side has left a man hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Monday evening at 6:58 p.m., Elgin police officers responded to the 900 block of Carriage Way Dr. for a reported shooting. Officers found an adult male subject with a non-life-threatening injury who was subsequently transported to an area hospital. Detectives from the Major Investigations Division are actively investigating the incident and have a subject in custody. The incident appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to the community. This is the 30th gunshots fired incident in Elgin this year. If you have…

A months-long investigation into multiple reported incidents of home repair fraud in Naperville concluded Friday, July 7, with the arrest of a Romeoville man on felony theft and fraud charges. This investigation was initiated in November 2022 when a Naperville resident reported a contractor named “Salvador Fuertes” failed to fulfill his contractual obligations. The subject allegedly collected a down payment from the resident to complete a concrete patio project but never performed any work and refused to return the money. Between November 2022 and May 2023, Naperville Police received an additional five reports of home repair fraud involving “Salvador Fuertes,”…

One person was killed and another hospitalized after a head-on collision by two pick-ups trucks in Big Rock Township Saturday morning. At approximately 8:52am, Kane County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to an accident with severe injuries in the area of Galena Street (US Route 30) and Jefferson Avenue in Big Rock Township. The preliminary investigation indicates that a black Toyota Tacoma driven by 16-year-old F. Kosakiewicz of Lockport, IL, (all other information is being withheld due to ongoing investigation) crossed the centerline for an unknown reason and crashed head-on into a white Ford F150 pickup truck driven by 57-year-old James…

Get ready for a summertime tradition that features cold drinks, great food, and fabulous music. Bring your lawn chair and/or blankets and find your spot on the lawn! Gate opens at 5 PM. Naper Settlement’s Naper Nights will honor legendary rock bands Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Green Day with tribute bands this weekend. RHCP tribute band Red NOT Chili Peppers will headline Friday’s presentation, joined by Fooz Fighters, a Foo Fighters tribute band. Saturday will include a tribute to Green Day by The American Idiots and a Weezer tribute by Weeze. It is the second of three…

The United City of Yorkville Parks and Recreation Department will present the annual Yorkville River Fest this Friday and Saturday at Riverfront Park (131E Hydraulic Ave) in Yorkville. The weekend will be full of live country music, cardboard boat races, craft beer tasting, great food, family activities, and more along the scenic Fox River. On Friday, don’t miss out on the best of live country music as local sensation Whiskey Romance Band plays a 4-hour set from 6-10pm at Riverfront Park . Grab your crew (age 10+) and captain your own hand-made cardboard boat during the Cardboard Boat Races down…

Kane County has been ranked as one of the top 20 counties in the nation in the July 2023 issue of Site Selection magazine. Kane County came in #14 on the list, along with Cook (#2), DuPage (#9) and Will (#16) Counties. Illinois was the only state with four or more contiguous counties making the list. This is Site Selection magazine’s first ranking of best counties in the U.S. and was based on the total number of economic development projects in each county between January 2022 and March 2023. Kane County had 52 qualifying projects during that time period. “This…