I have a love/hate relationship with my hometown. Sometimes when we're stuck in one place, we start to see more of the bad and just want to leave. It took going off to college for me to realize my hometown is special, and I loved growing up there. No matter where we end up, we come back to the place we grew up. I could write on and on about why I love my hometown, but here are six signs you grew up in Geneva, and six reasons why Geneva is a great town. That's Geneva, Illinois, not Switzerland or Ohio or Minnesota or New York.
1. The Vikings
For me, the Vikings will always mean the high school football team and overall town mascot, not the NFL team. Geneva was formed by Swedes, which is why our mascot is the Viking.
2. Graham's and 318
You can be in denial about this, but Graham's has the best ice cream and chocolates. Graham's 318 has the best coffee and gelato. There's nothing better than a sweet and cold treat to beat the summer heat. If sweets and coffee aren't your thing, Graham's also hosts a variety of activities on their patio, as does 318. From poetry open mics to ice sculpting to sidewalk chalk, no matter the season, people flock to Graham's. Best of all, it's local.
3. Festivals
Geneva is home to one of the nation's largest Swedish festivals, called Swedish Days. Swedish Days consists of 6 days of typical festival food, games, rides, fun, music, and other activities. The whole town comes together to celebrate and have fun. There's something for everyone. Aside from Swedish Days, Geneva also has an arts fair during the summer, Festival of the Vine in September, and a Christmas Walk. Festival of the Vine is a weekend long event where local restaurants sell food and beer. The Christmas Walk happens in the first or second weekend of December. Up and down the streets of downtown, vendors sell roasted chestnuts, nuts, and hot cocoa. Graham's has ice sculptors and candy cane making from scratch. What really kicks off the event is the lighting of the tree in front of the Kane County Courthouse.
4. Downtown
With such close proximity and an easy train ride to the city, many people go downtown to Chicago. I've never understood why people call going to Chicago going downtown. Since I live so close to downtown Geneva, I always think downtown means downtown Geneva. Whether you go to downtown Geneva or downtown Chicago, there's plenty of shopping and fun times to be had wandering the streets of both cities. Every summer, many Geneva residents will spend a day or weekend in the city.
5. The Fox River
During the summer and into the fall, many events take place along the river and at Island Park, such as concerts in July, Shakespeare in the Park, bike trails and bike races, and fishing. I've spent many summers and nights walking my dog along the Fox River Trail and in the Japanese Gardens.
6. The Commons
For many young adults and teenagers, the commons is one of the only places to hang out and shop. Virtually everyone has spent hours walking through the commons shopping.
Although Geneva is a small town (by Chicago suburb standards), there's plenty we offer. It can sometimes feel like there's nothing to do, especially as a young teen, but I wouldn't have wanted to spend my childhood anywhere else. Coming home for breaks or a weekend here and there makes going to Graham's and the river that much more special and memorable. Many of us teens said we hated some days and were bored out of our minds, yet most of us eventually come back for a little while.
