“It was a sight to behold,” one onlooker said. Children and adults of all ages were welcome to attend Geneva Park District’s Kite Festival, which was scheduled from 11-4 p.m. at Peck Farm Fields. The first 200 people who arrived at the festival received a free paper kite to color and fly. The wind was ideal for kite flying much of the afternoon and amidst the cool air and bright sun, everyone there appeared to have success in getting their kites to hover gently in the sky. Chicago Kites (chicagokite.com) was on site selling kites ranging from colorful, kid-friendly kites to those over six …

Sponsored by the Geneva Chamber of Commerce, the Festival of the Vine had yet another very successful year! From crafters, vendors, food and extravagent wines to family, friends and ceaseless entertainment, it was quite a weekend in Geneva. Here are some pictures highlighting the events that kept festival-goers smiling and coming back for more all weekend long. A few of the featured events in the photo montage include: The Flower Market on the Courthouse Lawn The Flavor Fare  Arts and Crafts Show The Kids Corner Wine tasting at the Little Traveler Horse drawn carriage and trolley rides Wine, …

Students returned to St. Peter School in Geneva on Thursday, Aug. 25. Founded in 1958, the Catholic school serves about 500 students from preschool through eighth grade.

There are many vehicles to storytelling. It's not always just words on newsprint. Photos are wonderful for capturing a moment in time, and the best writers sometimes can make us feel as if we're in the picture. But there are a few stories that can and often should be told through sound and movement. Two of them are high school dance and cheerleading. I wish I were a better videographer, or that I had more time to deliver a stylish product. The video you see here is unedited and the easiest to assemble. Still, it is video—it delivers the story in perhaps its purest form. And the story is that …

I wish I could take a photo of every single Geneva High School student and feature it on Geneva Patch. There are so many wonderful, talented kids, it just makes your heart swell. Here are some of them. This installment of the Corn Boil series features fall-sport athletes and their coaches. Go Vikings!

First, let me say that if I knew the rules, I would have enforced them more strictly. The Backstory I think Tom Rogers is terrific. He's the principal at Geneva High School and the son of the man who gave me my first break in Geneva journalism, Dave Rogers. (Huge parenthetical digression: For the sake of you young folk, Dave was the editor of The Geneva Republican in its heyday, when the newspaper was subscribed to by—I am not making this up—more than 90 percent of Geneva households. Look up Dave Rogers in the dictionary, and you'll see "quintessential Genevan," "great human being," "Plan …

I was talking with another parent prior to the festivities Wednesday at the Corn Boil about how the band has changed over the years—for the better. This parent was in the band at St. Charles High School, and said he didn't think being in the band was as serious then as it is today. "Serious" might not be the right word, because we agreed that the kids seem to have a lot of fun, but I know exactly what he meant. I was in the Geneva band, and in those days, the full extent of our prowess was the "hotdog drill" and forming a giant letter "G" on the field. In the category of goofing around during…

It felt like I look 10,000 photos Wednesday night at the 2011 Corn Boil at Burgess Field. And yet, I'm sure I didn't get everyone's son or daughter, so I apologize in advance. I wasn't sure whether to just lump all this content into one gigantic, Corn Boil extravaganza story or break it into pieces. I'm going to try to do the latter, separating it into categories and running several stories, and hopefully, adding video later—because I think there was some OK video ... but it takes a long time to download and upload. Great community journalism is about names and faces, faces and names. In this…

Dozens of East Side parents took their children to Harrison Street Elementary School Monday—two days before the new school year starts. But the kids weren’t complaining. Instead, they played carnival games, climbed the monkey bars, ate popcorn and cotton candy and greeted old classmates they haven’t seen since June at the school’s second annual school year kickoff party. “It started last year as a meet-and-greet to welcome the new principal, Shonette Sims,” explained Harrison Street School PTO co-president Dana Hermann. “That was such a big success that we held it again this year. It’s a …

Nearly 200 kids and parents filled the Geneva Public Library meeting room Thursday morning as they played and sang along with nationally acclaimed children’s artist and author Jim Gill. Gill strummed his banjo to songs from his latest album Music Play for Folks of All Stripes, as well as some old favorites. Check out these photos from the performance.

The Geneva Grand Prix bicycle race had great weather, a few spills and a lot of excitement. Read the earlier story and check out the photo gallery by Patrick Coveney, and enjoy these additions images and video by Rich Hayhurst.

More than 600 bicyclists, from local amateurs to internationally-sponsored professionals, competed in the annual Geneva Grand Prix races Saturday. The racers were spread throughout seven individual events, beginning at 10 a.m. and finally ending around 8 p.m. The event was sponsored by Bicycle Heaven, Graham's Chocolates and the city of Geneva and is the second stop on the International Cycling Classic's Super Week Pro Tour. Racers had to navigate a brand new course layout which diverted riders away from the Third Street shopping district and instead featured a treacherous corner at Fifth …

If you didn't get enough of Fourth of July fireworks, here's a one-minute recap, including the finale of the grand finale. The view is from the Nagels' deck and the fireworks are courtesy of the Kane County Cougars.

Kim Kozar got up early on Friday last week to shoot the NBC5 visit. Here are some videos and images from the event.

Editor's note: Patrick Coveney is a college student home for the summer in Geneva. He's also an aspiring photojournalist, and you can see that this is a young man with some talent. Thousands of residents and visitors headed to Third Street in Geneva on Thursday and Friday to enjoy Swedish Days concerts and events. Thursday night kicked off with a concert by Brother John playing everything from country to classic rock with impressive guitar riffs by band leader John Kattke. Many of those downtown also paid a visit to classic Geneva haunts such as Graham's Chocolates and Ice Cream and Chianti's…

Sweedish Days officially starts today (Tuesday), but the stage was broken in Monday at 4 p.m. Monday, featuring the Battle of the Bands competition. As you will see here, droves of fans were out to support their favorite band, as well as families that spread out on the lawn in front of the courthouse lawn. The winners of the competition will be announced at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Center Stage at the courthouse. After the band battle, many found their way into Chef Roby's All Chocolate Kitchen  to sample the home made gelato, coffee drinks and other bakery treats. The All Chocolate Kitchen …

On the Monday before Swedish Days, Geneva gets ready. If you were an alien presence looking down from outer space at this little corner of the Earth on Monday, June 20, 2011, it might look like ants building the world's most fun anthill. The courthouse lawn is being mowed, the weed whackers are in full gear. The portable potties are being unloaded. The carnival is rising from the ground like a wildflower, flashing color and the sweet promise of fried dough and snow cones as a swarm of worker bees buzz about. Tents rise everywhere. The service clubs' heavy lifters are bringing in the propane …

My daughter is a stickler about this—and so are a lot of people, actually. When you move from eighth grade to high school, it's a "promotion" and not a "graduation." Just so you know. I have to apologize, as always, to the Eighth Grade White group at Geneva Middle School North and all of Geneva Middle School South for not providing photos of your graduation ceremonies. I ask any and all parents, guardians, grandparents or family friends to contribute your photos here. All you need to do is click "Add your photos & videos" under the photos of this story. If you include a caption and send me an…

The water is running fast, canoeists are having fun, and spectators are getting entertained today along the Fox River. This is the 50th annual running of the Mid-American Canoe Race, sponsored by the Fox Valley Park District. Competitive racers started in St. Charles. But there are plenty of people simply out to have fun. It's a beautiful day. Enjoy it.

There was much to say at the 2011 Memorial Day ceremony at West Side Cemetery. I need to add video, but it's late, and I'm tired. And I have other family things that have to be done. But I can give you these still images. And we can remember the fallen on this Memorial Day 2011.