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Batavia Windmill City Festival Guide - 2021

August 27-29, 2021 @ Batavia Riverwalk

By Info via windmillcity.org webiste. August 23, 2021
Batavia's Windmill City Fest  - 2021

2021 Festival Schedule:

Friday, August 27

Location: Riverwalk Stage, 151 N. Island Avenue

  • 5:00 pm - Food, Beer, & Golf Challenge Open 
  • 5:00-8:00 pm -  Paddle Boat & Kayak Rentals Open
  • 5:00-10:00 pm - Euro Bungy & Other Attractions on Houston Street
  • 6:00-8:00 pm -  Band: Karma Committee 
    Karma Committee is a fresh new band hailing from Chicago, IL. Combining Pop, Dance, R&B, Rock and Hip Hop this will be a dance party you will not want to miss. This is a great high energy tribute to the greatest artists, and icons from the 90’s-today, playing smash hits from Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars and many, many more!
  • 9:00-11:00 pm - Band: Lounge Puppets
    The Lounge Puppets are Chicago’s premier 80’s hairband and arena rock tribute. Playing favorites including Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and more, this band is sure to rock!

Location: The Comedy Vault Stage, 18 E. Wilson Parking Lot

  • 6:00 pm - Fuzzlove

Fuzzlove was formed unexpectedly by strangers who had one thing in common: a passion for playing music. Now, great friends, these five young musicians from very diverse backgrounds soulfully blend together their different influences of funk, jazz, and rock, creating a fresh, unique sound. 

  • 8:00 pm - Mr. Blotto
    This is Chicago’s original jam band! This band takes the jam aesthetic into areas unfamiliar with the scene. Covers only pepper the band’s hefty catalog of original material from seven albums and other unreleased crowd favorites.

Saturday, August 28

Location: Riverwalk Stage, 151 N. Island Avenue

  • 12:00 pm -  Food, Beer, Golf Challenge, & Paddle Boat/Kayak Rentals Open
  • 12:00 pm -  Pet Competition at Main Stage
    Invite your furry or not-so-furry friend to this unique competition! The first 50 registered participants will receive a complimentary “doggie bag” to take home. Interested participants must register near the Main Stage. Pets can win ‘best overall’ in five categories: Best Kisser, Best Trick, Highest Jump, Best Costume, and Most Unusual. 
  • 12:00-10:00 pm - Euro Bungy & Other Attractions on Houston Street
  • 1:00 pm - Performance by The Frog Lady
  • 1:00-3:00 pm - Sidewalk Chalk Competition
    All ages are welcome to show off their artistic talents and compete to win Best in Show or People’s Choice. Location: South Riverwalk Plaza     
  • 3:00-5:00 pm - Band: Paul & Jay 
    A unique musical act that caters to a wide variety of events. From nightclubs to corporate parties, weddings, to private celebrations, they are an all-inclusive, sing-along, clap-along, interactive musical group that you and your guests will thoroughly enjoy.  Their playlist includes a variety of songs that will make you sing and applaud! They perform your favorite acoustic rock, Indie, 80's, classic rock, blues, disco, alternative rock and many current hits too.  Paul and Jay will have you laughing, cheering, singing, and dancing all night long!
  • 4:00 pm - Fire Hose Challenge
    Compete in this exciting challenge to send a ball across the opposing team’s line using fire hoses!
  • 4:30-6:30 pm - Splash Bash: Water Activities for Kids
  • 6:00-8:00 pm - Band: Generation 
    Generation brings it all to the stage! It’s a “Rock show” of iconic, popular hits not defined by decades…but some of the best groundbreaking music of our time! Beatles to Stones…Bowie to Led Zeppelin…Aretha to Sly Stone. Songs are always sure to bring smiling faces in the crowd! The band is powerful, the songs are unforgettable, a performance that makes the audience part of the excitement and fun, happening on stage!
  • 9:00-11:00 pm - Band: Mike & Joe 
    Mike & Joe is a modern rock cover band widely regarded by its peers and the industry as one of the very best sounding cover bands in the nation. The bulk of the setlist includes popular rock from the 90’s through today, but occasionally they’ll throw in some tunes from the 70’s and 80’s as well. Some artists Mike & Joe cover are: Blink 182, Maroon 5, U2, Fallout Boy, Justin Timberlake, Dave Matthews Band, Keith Urban, and more!

Location: the comedy vault stage, 18 E. wilson parking lot

  • 12:00 pm - Pawn Shop

Pawn Shop is a horn driven, eight-piece dance band rocking R&B, soul, funk, rock, ska, reggae, and blues for more than a decade. Come dance with us!

  • 2:00 pm - This End Up
    This End Up is a six piece band that has been rockin’ the ‘burbs’ for over 10 years. Playing a great mix of popular rock and pop music with a dash of country, This End Up is putting their mark on songs made famous by artists ranging from Aretha Franklin to Pink. The combination of drums, guitar, keyboards, and great vocal harmonies always get the crowd moving.
  • 4:00 pm - Collective
    The Collective Band is a collection of local musicians who love to play good music. Band members have come together from all types of music styles with one common goal: to play good music that people can hear, feel, and enjoy. We have disco, funk, rock, and pop in our collection.
  • 6:00 pm - Jud & Buds
    Based in Chicago, IL, versatile and dynamic Six String Crossing plays across the U.S., rockin’ country songs that you may hear for the first time as well as crowd-pleasing, hit songs you know and love from yesterday and today.
  • 9:00 pm - 7th Heaven
    The band has been heard on more than seven radio stations in Chicagoland.  This show features their hits, “Stoplight,” “Better This Way,” and “Sing.”  Known for their famous “30 Songs in 30 Minutes” medley from the 70’s and 80’s, 7th Heaven has been an entertainment staple for 30 years.  Playing 250+ shows per year, with an average of 100 outdoor events, 7th Heaven has earned the right to say, “We’ve seen a million faces and rocked them all!”   

Sunday, August 29

Location: Riverwalk Stage, 151 N. Island Avenue

  • 12:00 pm - Food, Beer, Golf Challenge, & Paddle Boat/Kayak Rentals Open
  • 12:00-12:45 pm - Children’s Band: Istvan & His Imaginary Band
    When Istvan starts rocking, kids can’t help but join in, sometimes on stage, while their moms and dads cheer them on and enjoy the original tunes.  Enjoy an irresistible mix of interactive rock ‘n’ roll, country, pop, punk and sing-alongs that get heads bobbing. Istvan involves the crowd, whether it’s playing freeze dance mid-song, inviting them up to sing along or having them ring out the rhythm on a tambourine.  Istvan & His Imaginary Band have become kid and family music favorites.
  • 12:00-6:00 pm - Euro Bungy & Other Attractions on Houston Street
  • 1:00-3:00 pm - Band: Tribute to Michael Heaton
    Join us for a two-hour live concert featuring Michael’s former bandmates through the years covering all of Michael’s great songs. There will be a dedication of a permanent plaque highlighting Michael’s life, music, and philanthropy. There will also be an announcement of an ongoing Michael Heaton Musical Scholarship. 
  • 1:00-3:00 pm -  Hot Shot Basketball Competition
  • 2:00-6:00 pm - Face Painting
  • 3:00 pm - Fire Hose Challenge
    Compete in this exciting challenge to send a ball across the opposing team’s line using fire hoses!
  • 4:00-6:00 pm - Band: Hillbilly Rockstarz
    The musicians in Hillbilly Rockstarz grew up with the love of country and rock n’ roll music. Each member brings a unique musical aesthetic to the band and over the years they have grown comfortable with mixing it up. Adding genres and mashing up influences from pop, rock, and dance combined with our high energy live music keeps our fans dancing all night long.

Location: The Comedy Vault Stage, 18 E. Wilson Parking Lot

  • 12:00 pm - Lil Band
    Lil Band is a Chicago-based alternative rock cover band, playing favorites from Zeppelin, U2, Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Everclear, Social Distortion, Ted Nugent, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, The Knack, Radiohead, The Cult and more!
  • 2:00 pm - Live Band Karaoke with the Backdrop Band
    Karaoke pro? First time? You're in good hands with the Backdrop Band, creating musical memories since 2014. With years of combined stage and teaching experience, this band creates a fun and welcoming environment, whether you want to enjoy your moment in the spotlight, or just sing along with the crowd. Choose your songs and rock out as the lead singer of your own band!
  • 4:00 pm - Too Hype Crew
    More than a party band and a tribute band, Too Hype Crew is a full-blown rump-shakin’, rhyme-makin’ old school hip hop experience like mothering else you’ve ever seen! A tasteful tribute to the fun hip hop and party anthems of the 80’s, 90’s, and early 00’s, featuring an all-live six-piece band.


Live Music:

This year’s festival will include two live music locations. Riverwalk Stage is located at the Peg Bond Center (151 N. Isalnd Avenue) and the Comedy Vault Stage is lcoated at 18 E. Wilson Parking Lot. The Comedy Vault Stage is for ages 21+ and will have a $5 cover charge.


Craft & Vintage Market:

Saturday, August 28 & Sunday, August 29
Noon - 6:00 pm

The vintage aesthetic is calling! The Craft & Vintage Market showcases the beauty of their heirloom, the tarnished, the bespoke, the repurposed, the broken-in, and the passed down. Indulge in some eco-conscious local shopping on the beautiful Batavia Riverwalk in the heart of historic downtown Batavia, with easy pedestrian and bike access from the Fox River Trail.

The Craft & Vintage Market strives to:

  • Cultivate respect for traditional handcraft
  • Promote ‘green’ and mindful consumption
  • Connect the modern market-goer with history they can hold and take home

All proceeds from vendor reservations directly support the work of the Batavia Depot Museum.


Pet Competition: 

Saturday, August 28 at 12:00 pm - Main Stage

Invite your furry or not-so furry friend to this unique competition. The first 50 registered participants will receive a complimentary ‘doggie bag’ to take home. Interested participants must register near the Main Stage promptly at noon. Pets can win ‘best overall’ in five categories: Best Kisser, Best Trick, Highest Jump, Best Costume, and Most Unusual. 

Following the Pet Competition, there will be a performance from the Frog Lady at 1:00 pm.

                                  

Fire Hose Challenge:

 Saturday, August 28 at 4:00 pm & Sunday, August 29 at 3:00 pm

Compete in this exciting challenge to send a ball across the opposing team’s line using fire hoses!


Golf Challenge:

6 balls for $5!  Take your shot at chipping a golf ball onto a green floating in the Depot Museum pond. Win exciting prizes for landing on the green and for making a hole-in one!


Sidewalk Chalk Drawing Contest:
FREE to participate!

All ages are welcome to show off their artistic talents and compete to win Best in Show or People’s Choice.



 (Note:  All information in this guide was taken from the windycityfest.org.  Please see website for additional information or details.)