Batavia MainStreet hosts ‘Cocktails in the Park’ fundraiser for locally-owned businesses

Once a year, community members of Batavia gather along the Fox River for “Cocktails in the Park,” raising a glass to fundraise for the locally-owned businesses making downtown Batavia vibrant and unique.

Batavia MainStreet is hosting the fundraiser from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 27, in Appleton Park behind City Hall, 100 N. Island Ave.

Tickets are $40 online and $50 at the door, and include admission, appetizers from 10 downtown restaurants, and live music. Drink and Raffle tickets are $7 each. Ticketing info can be found at downtownbatavia.com/event/cocktails-in-the-park.

The proceeds from the event go towards the non-profit MainStreet’s promotional and regional marketing initiatives for downtown businesses. It also helps with MainStreet hosted events like the Batavia Farmers’s Market, the Artisan Collective, and the Batavia Boardwalk Shops. The funds also help MainStreet host the annual Block Party (Sept. 1), BatFest (Oct. 26), and the Holiday Sneak Peek.

Beverages for the event are supplied by Batavia’s own Grainology Brewstillery and Sturdy Shelter Brewing. Whiskey is provided by Whiskey Acres Distilling in DeKalb.

Part of the evening’s festivities include raffling 10 themed-baskets filled with goodies and items from locally-owned businesses. Examples of the themed-baskets include, “A Taste of Italy,” “Take Me To The River,” and “On The Boardwalk.”

Beth Walker, Executive Director of Batavia MainStreet, has been attending the annual fundraiser since it was originally located on Clark Island in the middle of the Fox River.

“There’s a lot of hard work leading up to this event, so it’s so nice to see everybody having a good time, talking to neighbors and friends they haven’t seen in a while,” said Walker. “We always say, ‘Batavia loves Batavia,’ and the community are such huge supporters. If you ask anybody what makes Batavia special, they always say the community makes the difference.”

Appetizers will represent Batavia’s downtown foodie locales. Cheeseburger eggrolls will be served from GOAT Burger + Cocktail Bar. Crab rangoon and chicken tempura is provided by Thai Village. A variety of desserts from Haylie B’s Bakery and vegan options from New Moon Vegan will also be available.

“We love that this shows how the community works together and is supportive of one another,” said Walker. “This is our only major fundraiser of the year that allows us to promote our events and the businesses we support. We are very proud of our community and that’s why it’s so important every year we try to spread the word of what Batavia has to offer.”