Events in the area
Every festival, parade, concert, market, and race within about 10 miles of Fox Haven Square this month, in one short list. Pick your weekend. We will handle dinner.
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap · Fox Haven Square, St. Charles IL · Updated September 2, 2026
24 Things to Do This Month
St. Charles · Geneva · Batavia · South Elgin
The Quick Answer
Biggest weekends September 5 to 7 (Fox Valley Folk Festival in Geneva, the Arcada Theatre’s 100th birthday parade in St. Charles, Kane County Flea Market) and September 11 to 13 (St. Charles Jazz Weekend and Geneva’s Festival of the Vine, same weekend, three miles apart)
Free events Arcada centennial parade, Jazz Weekend on 1st Street Plaza, Festival of the Vine, Labor Day fireworks, both farmers markets, every South Elgin concert and movie night
For the kids Labor Day fireworks (Sept 3), Fire Department Open House (Sept 12), Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms (opens Sept 19), Bad Guys 2 movie night in South Elgin (Sept 25)
For grown-ups Jazz Weekend, Festival of the Vine wine tastings, Air Supply and Kamelot at the Arcada, stand-up at The Comedy Vault in Batavia
Where to eat Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap, Fox Haven Square, 300 N Kirk Rd, St. Charles. Walk-in only, family friendly until 8 pm, kids eat free weekdays 4 to 6 pm
Looking for things to do in St. Charles this month? September in the Fox Valley is the month the whole area shows off. Downtown St. Charles throws a 100th birthday parade for the Arcada, Geneva pours wine on James Street, and there are enough concerts, markets, and races within 10 miles of Fox Haven Square that you could be out every single night. Here is the short list, week by week, with a link for every one of them.
Week 1: Things to Do in St. Charles and Geneva Over Labor Day Weekend
The first week of September in St. Charles and Geneva is stacked, and most of it is free. Sunday the 6th is the big day: the folk festival in Geneva by afternoon, the Arcada parade at 3 pm, then Notre Dame vs. Wisconsin at 6:30 pm on the 22-foot LED wall at Simple EJ’s.
Thu, Sept 3 End of Summer & Labor Day Celebration, St. Charles
The St. Charles Park District’s fireworks show, rescheduled from July 4. Free, and the last big boom of summer.
Fridays St. Charles Outdoor Farmers Market
Fridays 8 am to 1 pm through the end of September at 211 Riverside Ave, just north of the Municipal Center.
Saturdays Batavia Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday 8 am to noon on N. River Street through October 17. The Artisan Collective of local makers joins on the third Saturday, September 19.
Sat + Sun, Sept 5 to 6 Kane County Flea Market
Up to 1,000 dealers of antiques and collectibles at the Kane County Fairgrounds on Randall Road. $7 adults, kids 12 and under free. Saturday 11 to 4, Sunday 7 to 3.
Sun + Mon, Sept 6 to 7 Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival, Geneva
The 50th annual. Six stages, workshops, a kids’ zone, and a Sunday night barn dance at Wheeler Park, 822 N. First St. 11 am to 6 pm daily. Suggested donation $35 adults, $20 teens and seniors.
Sun, Sept 6 Arcada Theatre 100th Birthday Celebration, St. Charles
A free parade down Main Street at 3 pm recreating the Ferris Bueller parade scene, with Chubby Checker leading the dancing. Priscilla Presley meet-and-greet at 1 pm, then “The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll” concert at 6 pm, tickets from $28.75. Main Street closes for the parade, so plan the drive.
Week 2: September 7 to 13, Jazz and Wine Weekend
The second weekend of September is the one to circle. St. Charles Jazz Weekend and Geneva’s Festival of the Vine run on the same days, about three miles apart along Route 31, and both are free to walk. Simple EJ’s at Fox Haven Square is a ten-minute drive from either one for a scratch-made dinner after the last set.
Thu to Sun, Sept 10 to 13 St. Charles Jazz Weekend
More than 40 jazz acts across downtown St. Charles venues, including three-time Grammy winner Frank Catalano and a Mel Tormé centennial tribute. Free outdoor sets on 1st Street Plaza along the Fox River Saturday and Sunday; a few indoor shows are ticketed.
Fri to Sun, Sept 11 to 13 Festival of the Vine, Geneva
Geneva’s fall classic on James Street: the Flavor Fare food tent, wine tastings, an arts and crafts show, horse-drawn carriage rides, and live music.
Thu to Sat, Sept 10 to 12 K-Von at The Comedy Vault, Batavia
Three nights of stand-up in downtown Batavia. 21 and up energy, so make it a date night.
Sat, Sept 12 St. Charles Fire Department Open House
Noon to 3 pm at Fire Station No. 1, 112 N. Riverside Ave. Trucks, gear, and firefighters who will let your kid sit in the driver’s seat. Free.
Sat, Sept 12 Premier Card Show and All Animal Expo, Kane County Fairgrounds
Two shows, one parking lot. Sports cards 9 am to 3 pm ($5, VIP hour $10) and the All Animal Expo 10 am to 3 pm.
Week 3: September 14 to 20, Concerts, Pumpkins, and a Marathon
Mid-September is when the Fox Valley calendar splits between big-name shows at the Arcada in St. Charles and free nights in the park in South Elgin, with the first pumpkin patch weekend of the season and the Fox Valley Marathon closing it out.
Mon, Sept 14 South Elgin Concert Series: My Weekend Crush
Free show at Panton Mill Park, 6:30 to 8 pm. Bring a chair.
Wed, Sept 16 South Elgin United: Where Cultures Meet
A free multicultural celebration at Panton Mill Park, 5:30 to 8 pm.
Thu, Sept 17 Kamelot at the Arcada Theatre
Symphonic metal in a 100-year-old theatre. 7:30 pm.
Fri, Sept 18 Air Supply at the Arcada Theatre
“A Matter of Time Tour,” 8 pm. Every love song you know the words to.
Sat, Sept 19 Live and Let Die: Tony Kishman’s Paul McCartney Tribute, Arcada
8 pm in downtown St. Charles.
Sat, Sept 19 National Dance Day, South Elgin
Free dance lesson 5:30 to 6:30 pm at Panton Mill Park, then a double-feature movie at dusk.
Opens Sat, Sept 19 Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms, Aurora
The Fox Valley’s pumpkin patch and corn maze, weekends from September 19 and Wednesday through Sunday from September 30, 10 am to 6 pm.
Sun, Sept 20 Fox Valley Marathon, St. Charles
Marathon, 20-mile, half marathon, and 5K along the Fox River Trail. 7 am start in St. Charles. Downtown streets get busy early, so cheer, then eat.
Sun, Sept 20 Kane County Doll Show
Billed as the largest doll show in the Chicago area, 9 am to 3 pm at the fairgrounds. $8, kids 12 and under free.
Week 4: September 21 to 30, Movie Nights and Late Laughs
The last stretch of September in the Fox Valley slows down just enough to catch your breath, with a free family movie in South Elgin, more comedy in Batavia, and the pumpkin patch shifting to five days a week.
Thu to Sat, Sept 24 to 26 Jared Freid at The Comedy Vault, Batavia
Three nights of stand-up downtown. Sunday the 27th brings John Caparulo to the same stage.
Fri, Sept 25 Movie Night: Bad Guys 2, South Elgin
Free outdoor screening at dusk at Panton Mill Park. Blankets, kids, and a sweatshirt.
Sun, Sept 27 All Animal Expo, Kane County Fairgrounds
The reptile, bird, and small-animal show returns, 10 am to 3 pm.
From Wed, Sept 30 Pumpkin Daze goes Wednesday to Sunday
Abbey Farms opens midweek from September 30 through November 1, 10 am to 6 pm.
Where to Eat Before or After a Fox Valley Event
For a family coming off a parade, a market, or a movie in the park, Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap at Fox Haven Square in St. Charles is the practical pick: it is walk-in only, so there is no reservation to miss when the fireworks run long, the room stays family friendly until 8 pm, and kids eat free Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm with an adult entree. Grown-ups get a scratch kitchen, wings in six sauces, a smashburger on a special blend made exclusively for Simple EJ’s, and every Bears game on a 22-foot LED wall. See the menu, check what is on our own calendar this month, or read our guide to Bears Sundays at Fox Haven Square.
Family by day, grown-ups after dark. Charlie makes his rounds until his 8 pm bedtime. After that, the lights come down and the room belongs to the Jazz Weekend crowd, the post-concert crowd, and anyone who just watched Air Supply and needs a drink about it. Founders Club members (21+, $14.99 a month) get their second drink included every visit. Details on our loyalty page.
Things to Do in St. Charles and the Fox Valley: Quick Questions
September 2026 in St. Charles includes the Arcada Theatre’s 100th birthday parade on September 6, St. Charles Jazz Weekend September 10 to 13, the Fox Valley Marathon on September 20, the Labor Day fireworks on September 3, the Friday farmers market at 211 Riverside Ave, and weekly shows at the Arcada Theatre and the Kane County Fairgrounds.
Mostly. The outdoor performances on 1st Street Plaza along the Fox River on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, are free, and many venue sets are free with a purchase. A handful of indoor performances require tickets, listed on the Jazz Weekend music schedule at stcjazzweekend.com.
Festival of the Vine runs Friday, September 11 through Sunday, September 13, 2026 on James Street between Fourth and Fifth in downtown Geneva, with the Flavor Fare food tent, wine tastings, a craft show, carriage rides, and live music.
The kid-friendly picks are the Labor Day fireworks in St. Charles on September 3, the Fox Valley Folk Festival kids’ zone in Geneva September 6 and 7, the St. Charles Fire Department Open House on September 12, Pumpkin Daze at Abbey Farms opening September 19, and the free Bad Guys 2 movie night at Panton Mill Park in South Elgin on September 25.
Simple EJ’s Kitchen & Tap at Fox Haven Square, 300 N Kirk Rd in St. Charles, is a short drive east on Route 64 from downtown. It is walk-in only, family friendly until 8 pm, kids eat free weekdays from 4 to 6 pm with an adult entree, and parking at Fox Haven Square is free.
No. Simple EJ’s in St. Charles is walk-in only. Parties of eight or more should email groups@simpleejs.com ahead so the host stand can plan for the group.
Go to the Thing. Then Come Eat.
Parade, festival, race, or movie in the park, every one of them ends near a table at Fox Haven Square. No reservation, just walk in. Eight or more? Email groups@simpleejs.com.
This list gets refreshed every month. Know about a Fox Valley event we missed? Tell us on Instagram and we will add it.