Growing up in Roselle, I often visit the Taste of Roselle which really is a craft fair/carnival…read morewith nearby restaurants as vendors. Even this year, while it was good, it wasn't great. There were plenty of options but lets face it, there isn't the quality you might expect for what you have to spend. My gal pal invited me to join her for this Festival of the Vine in Geneva this weekend. Since it was expected to be so hot on Saturday, and I expected it to be a lot wine options, we chose to go on Friday night so we could partake in the wine options they offered! I'm so glad we went on the Friday night. After driving around a bit, we found some street parking on 5th street and walked the few blocks to the main event. Just follow the live music! We found that there were several tents set up. You get your tickets at a booth near Roosevelt which allows you to purchase foods and drinks throughout the festival. First thing I noticed was how well organized everything was. There was an individual sign for each food vendor. It seemed most vendors had about 3 options and many of them included one dessert item. Each ticket was valued at a dollar so a ricotta stuff meatball from the Italian place was 5 tickets or $5, for example. I noticed some of my favorite Geneva restaurants were at the fest: Chez Moi Catering, Gen Hoe, 318 Coffeehouse, Egg Harbor, Riganato Old World Grille, and Graham's Chocolate to name a few. The wine was really restricted to one tent and they had it set up by price. There was a $4 per glass line, $6 per glass line and a $12 per glass line. Being that I only had $9 in tickets left, I didn't hesitate to ask for a glass and a half. Yep! That's how I roll. Good thing the bartender was generous enough to give me two glasses worth. Thanks, Guy! The music was a bit loud but for the amount of people that were there, the volume was quite necessary! After the fest, and sampling some guacamole from Bien Trucha, the Lemon Chicken from Gen Hoe, some Mac & cheese from Presevstion Bread and Wind and the Ricotta Stuffed meatball from Riganato Old World Grille, we made our way down 3rd street and shared a bottle of (White) Señorita Sangria wine at Galena Cellars. The night was a lot of fun and didn't cost too much money. You were able to taste a little of this and a bite of that instead of having to go to all these places individually to find out how the food is. I will def attend next year. Now that I know this fest is more about the food, I'll be prepared next year! Maybe I'll see YOU there!!

Always fun to walk around Geneva especially during this annual festival. This year the weather…read moreeven cooperated. Shops are open and it's a good way to get a jump start holiday shopping.

This is my favorite festival every year, and I'm always so excited to go again! It's held in Good…read moreTemplar Park, which is not typically open to the public, and people open up their cottages, many built in the 1930s, as little "shops", so you can both see the cottages and do some shopping. Since Geneva was founded by Swedes and many people who historically had/have cottages (stugas in Swedish) here are of Scandinavian descent, you will see many Dala horses, vikings, gnomes, as well as yarn craft, jewelry, woodworking, candles, vintage books, ornaments, and more. One cottage today had demonstrations by rosemaling painters, the traditional Norwegian painting style often seen on wooden plates, trunks, furniture and other items. I was fortunate to speak with Lynn, who told me about her process (her motto was "Exhale and feel your passion for painting"; she also said not to hold the brush like a pen, in that there is no pressure on it, just guide it. She triple loaded paint colors onto a small flat paint brush and said she makes designs shaped like Ss and Cc, and that there are "no mistakes," if a kid bumps the table or something it can always be fixed or changed.) Another artist whose art you will encounter everywhere at this event is Kathy McPartland; her whimsical gnomes, Dala horses and flowers are on the fliers and signage for the festival, and you can buy her cards, books and prints at this fair. Tina Druce-Hoffman was another artist present who makes beautiful intaglio prints, including a limited edition one for the event. They have added extra vendors in tents around the park, which was something new this year. Overall, I will always come back to this charming event.

So unique! Tiny little cottages in a wooded area along a…read morecreek. Some are private residences but about 20 of them are opened for sale of arts and crafts. $8 to enter in 2018. We had no ideas what Templar's were. Good lessons from the past.

We've been to Swedish Days in the past and found it to be your above average town festival. Plenty…read moreof vendors, food, drinks, rides and carnival games, etc. Today however, we went to the Swedish Day parade..our first time seeing this part of the festival. The route runs through three different roads and lasted a good 2 hrs. They featured a good number of high school bands and other lively entertainment, including a ton of Shriners. Our favorite was a South Side performance group and the Jesse White Tumblers. Neither disappoint. We went with a large group of of friends who corded off and staked a tent for our groups use. If you're going with a large group you'll want to arrive early and do the same, as the parade route gets pretty packed. Cheers.

I gotta say, Swedish Days was A LOT more fun than I anticipated!…read more Geneva to me is sorta a new discovery. I have only been frequenting downtown Geneva for the past 3 years or so, clearly because I live under a rock. My Fiance and I love to walk up and down 3rd St., visit the shops, stop for some good food and eat some delicious sweets. And Swedish Days takes every aspect of this quaint downtown, puts a carnival in it, some good music and a touch of small town to bring Swedish Days together. After this year I can easily say I would not frequenting Swedish Days just like the MANY people I met there from the area and even from out of state!

Saw a TV news article about this 2-day festival and decided to check it out with my daughter this…read morepast weekend 8/16 & 17 at the Kane County Fair Grounds. Wish we would have gone on Saturday, but Sunday was a good experience too, albeit probably a bit more mellow as things were winding down. There were many exhibits featuring a multicultural casts of characters, horses galore, live bands, and dogs were welcome and being walked about the grounds. The junk food was abundant and delicious (in moderate quantities, of course). I would recommend bringing the kids next summer and wearing a pair of shoes you're not afraid will get dusty. Wish they would advertise this event more as I'm sure many more folks would attend!

Okay, I admit it. I am a noisy person who buys tickets to the House Tour every year not to see the…read moreholiday decorations, but to see how other people live and decorate their homes. I love seeing their gourmet kitchens and remodeled basements! I get giddy when I see built-in cabinets and impressive, stone fireplaces! The House Tour is like walking through a Pottery Barn catalog or a Crate and Barrel photo shoot. It is the highlight of my December. For those who don't know, the House Tour is usually held the first weekend of December. Five Geneva homes are selected each year, and these homes are decorated by local designs and/or florists for the holidays. Other people then have the opportunity to walk through these homes, and admire the decor. The tour is a bit pricey ($30 per person), and can get crowded (you can wait outside a house for 25 minutes or more), which may be a deterrent for some. Your admission includes a "tea" at the Congregational Church, but I find the experience of sitting in a musty, dark church basement, sipping a cup of Lipton tea, to be a bit depressing. There's so much to see in the houses themselves, you're not really missing out by skipping the tea. For me, in fact, there is only one problem with the House Tour: it is extremely slanted toward the part of Geneva that is east of Randall Road (apparently those of us who live west of Randall are not really part of Geneva), and west of the river. I cannot tell you how much it irks me that the tour does not extend all over Geneva. The House Tour is also part of the Christmas Walk, which typically kicks off on the first Friday in December. That evening, Saint Lucia visits Geneva by horse-drawn carriage, and Santa and/or the mayor lights the large Christmas tree in front of the courthouse. The kids can visit Santa in his little house on Third Street, and the whole family can listen to carolers. It's a very nice experience, and one I would highly recommend, regardless of whether you decide to do the House Tour as well.

First visit to this event today and never again. $38 to see 5 houses is the program with tea and…read morecookies at a church. Visited one mediocre house that we toured in 4-5 minutes with the majority of that time taking off our shoes carrying them through the small first floor and putting them back on as we left. It was more of an advertisement for the florist who provided the greenery (which was lovely). Next house, line around the block to get into another seemingly mediocre house so we decided not to wait. next house - street is closed off so you have to park along the shoulder (50+ cars) and walk across a busy street into the subdivision to find the house. apparently the neighbors don't want the traffic but accept the proceeds of the walk which goes towards decorating geneva. The cottage downtown had no parking for blocks. by now, we've 'toured' one house and spent alot of time driving but seen nothing. save your money / donate it to a worthy cause but don't waste it on this house walk. so not worth it.