Mayor’s Message – June 21, 2024

Good afternoon, Antioch!

I love this time of year – summer is here!  There is no better place to spend summer than Antioch!  Our Parks Department and Special Events crews have been busy!  Attendance at this month’s Summer Wine Walk and It’s Thursday concerts have been incredible!  Remember, when you’re downtown for event, make sure to support our hard-working local business community!

The Fourth of July festivities are only about a week and a half away!  If you’ve been in Antioch for the Fourth of July, you already know how much fun of a day this is in our community!  The events kick off with the 28th annual Antioch Run for Freedom 5K.  Learn more about the run and register at https://bit.ly/3q3rNFv.  The Fourth of July parade steps off at 10:30 a.m., the Party at The Park starts at 4 p.m., we’ll have a DJ entertainment until 7 p.m., then Keith James Magneen will perform until 9 p.m.  The night ends with fireworks starting at 9:15 p.m.

Something new you’ll notice at the Fourth of July parade are new parade barriers that will be in place downtown.  In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of growth with our events in town, especially parades.  With the larger crowds, we’ve seen a few close calls of kids getting out into the parade route and coming dangerously close to parade vehicles or horses.  These barriers are to ensure the safety of the crowd.  These came at the recommendation of the Antioch Police Department.  They’re a great way to keep everyone safe while still having an environment for fun!

Good luck tomorrow to the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation!  The organization will be hosting its annual fundraising event at the Antioch VFW.  If you haven’t had a chance to check out their new location on Main Street, I encourage you to stop by!  According to its website, admission to the Antioch Art Gallery & Education Center is always free.  Staff are member volunteers and the group’s expenses are covered by donations, commissions, and exhibit fees.  Plus, they have just one annual fundraiser, tomorrow night’s Antioch Art Affair.  For more information about the organization or its fundraiser, visit:  https://antiochfinearts.org/

This Sunday is our second 2024 Food Truck FEASTival on Toft!  We’ll have food trucks and live music (weather permitting) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Other Food Truck FEASTivals are scheduled for July 14th, and August 25th.      

Our next Village Board meeting is this coming Wednesday.  Village Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The agenda for the Committee of the Whole and the Village Board meetings will be posted on the village’s website by Monday afternoon.

The Antioch Parks Department has started a new initiative this year that is designed to showcase the great parks of Antioch!  Meet Me at the Park will take place every Tuesday between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at a different park in town.  They’ll have drop-in programs, activities, and a lot of fun!  This is a fun way to see many of our amazing Antioch parks!  The next Meet Me at the Park will be next Tuesday, June 25, 2024, at Pedersen Park (680 Rt. 173).  For more information, contact the Parks Department at parks@antioch.il.gov, or call 847-395-2160.

Also, next Thursday is our next Farmers Market and It’s Thursday summer concert!  The Farmers Market runs from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Main and Orchard.  We have some great new vendors this year!  If you haven’t been to a farmers market in recent years, I encourage you to stop by!  Also next Thursday at 7 p.m. we’ll have Green Day tribute band, American Idiots at the bandshell for another fun night of music!  As always, thank you to the It’s Thursday summer concert series Title Sponsor, Raymond Chevrolet Kia!

Finally, congratulations to Antioch Police Chief and Interim Village Administrator Geoff Guttschow.  Today is his 25 anniversary with the village.  We’re grateful for all that you do for our community, Chief!

I hope you have a great weekend!  I hope to see you around town!  Remember to eat and shop local!

Scott J. Gartner

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