Children on bicycles – some decked out in traditional blue and yellow colors – stepped off from Campbell and Fifth streets for the annual Swedish Days Kids Day Parade in downtown Geneva Friday.
It was all part of the 73rd edition of Geneva’s Swedish Days, a five-day festival featuring a variety of events including music, food, a carnival and more that runs through Sunday.
“The weather could not be better,” Geneva Chamber of Commerce Communications Director Laura Rush said Friday.
Good crowds have attended the live musical performances on the Central Stage across from the Kane County Historic Courthouse on South Third and James streets and at other events so far during the annual festival, she said.
Organizers are hoping to see a return to pre-pandemic attendance numbers when Swedish Days would draw some 200,000 festival-goers to the downtown, Rush said.
An estimated 50 to 60 children participated in the annual Kids Day Parade Friday, she said.
“Everyone likes being in a parade and having people wave back,” Rush said.
The Kids Day Parade route covered two blocks and ended in the Geneva Public Library parking lot in the 200 block of South Seventh Street. The Geneva Public Library partnered with the Chamber of Commerce by offering to host a variety of interactive games and face-painting spread across the parking lot.
The School of Rock Geneva House Band performed classic and current rock favorites for the crowd as well at the event.
“Partnering with the Chamber of Commerce for Kids Day was a natural fit for the library,” Geneva Public Library public relations specialist Chazmin Baechler said. “Kids make up some of our largest constituent groups.”
Geneva mother Emily Sagan was with her daughter, Matilda, 7, at the event. Matilda rode her bicycle in the parade and wore blue and yellow in honor of Swedish Days.
More Top Picks Best Cricut Vs Silhouette Cutting Machines
“My daughter seems to be intrigued about being in her own little parade with friends. Swedish Days tends to bring out a great sense of community spirit for all ages,” Sagan said.
Geneva mother Georgia Chavez has three daughters ages 6, 3 and 1. Sofia, 6, participated in Friday’s Kids Day Parade.
“My daughter is enjoying all of this,” Chavez said.
While bicycles were big on Friday, another mode of conveyance took center stage Thursday night at Swedish Days with a vintage car show on South Third Street.
The event brought out dozens of car aficionados and plenty of spectators. Geneva resident Austin Newcomb showcased his father’s red 2002 Dodge Viper at the event.
“It’s a final edition. The automaker produced only 360 of the red cars with white stripes. This is the 110th car,” Newcomb said.
It’s considered an historic muscle car, he said.
“It rides rather rough. It’s a muscle car so it has a lot of horsepower. It’s built just to be a fun and rough car,” he said.
Geneva High School student Saed Porcayo showcased his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle at the car show.
“I have always been attached to the Beetle. My relatives have always had one. The Beetle symbolizes love and peace,” Porcayo said.
The Geneva student will be a senior next school year.
“The Beetle keeps my happy and people rarely see these. Hopefully it will be my forever car,” he said.
The vintage car show was an opportunity for people to share their passion for cars with others, Jim and Mary Miles said.
“The car show is a humble environment where we share equally admiring one another’s cars,” Jim Miles said.
The West Chicago couple has been coming to Swedish Days for the past 30 years.
“We enjoy Swedish Days every year. The festival is a big part of our summer. We love our proximity to Geneva,” Miles said.
St. Charles sisters Lexie and Ellie Sutter were with their friend Lucy Martinez of Batavia at the festival. The girls are in high school.
“We have always come to Swedish Days. We appreciate the liveliness of the festival,” Lexie Sutter said.
Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.