Outdoor shopping destinations

In the mood for some retail therapy? Shop local at one of Kane County’s outdoor shopping experiences!

Downtown St. Charles is one of the most popular retail destinations due to its stellar directory. With the newly renovated First Street Plaza, feel free to leisurely shop and dine alongside the beauty of the Fox River. While you are there, stop into the family-owned MION Artisan Soap Co., a hotspot for soaps, skin care, and bath products.

Each item is handmade in Wheaton, with extra special care put into its design by soap maker and owner Olga Boldyreva. “We’re proud of using the highest quality ingredients we can find on the market,” asserts Boldyreva. “We avoid using any synthetic fragrances, artificial colorings, parabens, or toxic chemicals, so everything is super good for your skin and safe for the environment.”

Soapmaking is not an easy task, but Boldyreva and her team always make sure to put their customers first. “Everything starts with what benefit we can bring into the product and then we work to also make it look beautiful, smell nice, and have beautiful colors.” When entering the store, customers have the chance to try their products, from bars to scrubs to body butters.

Their most popular series is their face line, and Boldyreva recommends the Rosehip Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream, as it’s one of her favorites. MION Artisan Soap Co. found its way to St. Charles through local farmer’s markets, and they could not be happier with their location. “When the time came to open the second shop, we fell in love with First Street. We’re very glad we made that choice, especially now with that beautiful plaza,” remarks Boldyreva. “It’s so alive and happy and vibrant. We’re definitely looking forward to the nice weather and hoping for a big season this summer.” Stores like MION are what make First Street special, so make sure to drop by.

One thing about Kane County is that it’s packed with history, and the Downtown Geneva Historic Shopping District takes full advantage of this. Located on Third Street and State Street, many of their stores are housed in historic buildings and Victorian homes. With over 100 shops, there is so much to explore.

“You could come in the morning for a cup of coffee and stay all the way through after dinner time,” remarks Johanna Patterson, Communications Director at the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. “Or a lot of people like to come and stay for the weekend. We have three hotels as well as bed-and-breakfasts in town. It’s definitely a popular place to come with girlfriends or as couples.”

Patterson is also a homegrown Geneva-native, so she knows this district like the back of her hand. “We have a little bit of everything, from apparel items to spa stores, candle stores, food stores; anything you can think of, we have it down there.” She recommends visiting The Little Traveler located on Third Street. The store contains 36 rooms, each more different than the last.

No matter what you are looking for, Geneva’s Historic Shopping District is the perfect place to shop while enjoying a piece of the town’s history.

Finally, if you like supporting up-and-coming businesses, take a stroll through the Batavia Boardwalk Shops on the corner of Wilson Street and Route 25. Going into their sixth year, this business incubator has helped dozens of shops transition from at-home ventures to brick-and-mortar establishments.

The program is run by Batavia MainStreet, who oversees the management of the space and boardwalk season. “This year we are really happy about our offering,” declares Beth Walker, Executive Director of Batavia MainStreet. “They’re more cultural this year, and we have a wide selection of different things that we don’t have in our downtown district.”

Their offerings this season include Guatemalan clothes and decor, packaged African food, internationally-inspired baked goods, crocheted masterpieces, and even a store specializing in tabletop games.

All store owners go through a vigorous application process before being selected. They are then guided through a series of workshops hosted by MainStreet to help prepare them for the season. After that, each storefront is run solely by the entrepreneurs. “We really encourage each of the shop owners to make their place into what they envision as their brick-and-mortar. We don’t want it to feel like a stall at a market,” assures Walker. “We want it to feel personal and compelling to the consumer. Hopefully, the community will grow to love them and those businesses will open in our thriving downtown retail district.”

The Batavia Boardwalk shops are open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so be sure to have a look this weekend. With summer just beginning, it’s the perfect time to shop until you drop. So take a walk, enjoy the fresh air, and see everything these areas have to offer.