The outdoor farmers market has closed for the year, and the tents are gone from downtown. This Saturday, Halloween morning, the market moves to 10 S. Shumway Ave. It sets up inside Sturdy Shelter Brewing from 9 a.m. to noon, with bloody marys and mimosas on the bar and the mezzanine open for seating.
That's the first Saturday of a schedule Batavia MainStreet runs every week from October 31, 2026, through May 8, 2027. Downtown had a rough fall for some of its businesses. Several familiar storefronts closed within a few weeks of each other. So it matters that the one weekly downtown routine running from now into spring is already set, with a known address, a known vendor list and every Saturday on the calendar.
What Changed on Wilson Street This Fall
Daddio's Diner on Wilson Street planned its last day for Wednesday, Sept. 23, after nearly 20 years downtown. Tri-Cities Central reported that the family pointed to rising food costs and an expiring lease, and that its catering business would continue. Four days later, Everdine's Grilled Cheese at 227 W. Wilson St. served its last customers. The Daily Herald reported that the owners were closing because of an international move.
At the Oct. 19 City Council meeting, an alderperson asked city staff for an update on downtown after Daddio's, Everdine's and Beardsgaard Barbers closed or announced they would. According to Tri-Cities Central's account of the meeting, staff said that not every closure reflects a struggling business. Beardsgaard's owners posted that they were going out on top, and Red Hive Market's owners are retiring. Staff called both of those storefronts move-in ready for new retail tenants. They added that many of downtown's other vacancies will need significant investment before a new business can move in.
The city has a longer-range plan underway. In July, the council approved a contract with RKG Associates for an economic development strategic plan. It will include about 20 interviews and three focus groups with business owners, business groups, brokers and developers. A steering committee is expected to meet in November, December and January, and staff expect to finish the plan in 2027.
The winter calendar downtown is already set. It includes the market on Shumway Avenue, Batavia MainStreet's evening events and the Batavia Park District's night on the Riverwalk.
A Second Winter at Sturdy Shelter
This isn't the market's first winter at the brewery. Last October, the Daily Herald ran Batavia MainStreet's announcement naming Sturdy Shelter Brewing as the new home for the 2025–26 indoor season, which started Nov. 1. This season opens one day earlier on the calendar, in the same room.
Patch reports that more than 20 vendors rotate through on any given Saturday, and every one of them must grow, harvest or produce at least 75 percent of what they sell. The returning names include:
- Mighty Green Farm, with lettuce, salad blends and seasonal produce grown in Elburn
- Fox Flower Farm, with fresh cut flowers, potted plants and seasonal evergreens
- Vargo Brothers Ferments, with fermented foods
Three vendors are new this season:
- Local Pastures, selling pasture-raised meat from Midwest farms
- Amarillo Cafe y Matcha, pouring horchata-based coffee and matcha
- Alden Kitchen, with fresh bread, small-batch jams and pantry goods
Fernando's Street Kitchen serves Mexican-inspired dishes during market hours, and Sturdy Shelter pours its own beer. The market accepts SNAP benefits, and Link Match doubles them dollar for dollar on fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Batavia MainStreet posts each week's vendor list on the market's Facebook and Instagram pages.
The brewery has also grown since the last indoor season. On Aug. 12 it opened a dog-friendly cedar deck along the Fox River with seats for up to 40 people, as Shaw Local reported. The market runs indoors, but the deck gives the building a riverside spot on mild mornings this fall and again once spring comes.
The Weeks Between Halloween and December
The market covers Saturday mornings. The rest of the season is a handful of dated evenings and weekend afternoons, and most of them bring people back downtown.
Saturday, Nov. 7
Good Energy Women's Health holds a grand-opening open house from 2 to 5 p.m., according to the Batavia MainStreet calendar. Downtown is losing some tenants this fall, and it's gaining this one.
Friday, Nov. 13
The Holiday Lantern Walk runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Lanterns line the sidewalks, shops stay open past their usual hours and a holiday trolley carries people from one side of town to the other. New this year, Batavia MainStreet is selling a wine ticket: $25 buys adults 12 tickets for one-ounce pours at participating businesses. As of Patch's Oct. 16 report, the list of participating businesses hadn't been released.
The Lantern Walk is also when a future downtown business plans to introduce itself. Batavia MainStreet's calendar lists a "Meet Kitty Cocoa Café!" event during the walk. More on that below.
Sunday, Nov. 22
Batavia MainStreet's calendar lists Becoming Neighbors Friendsgiving from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. It's co-hosted with Lumunos and features The Rising Lights Project. Check the listing for the venue closer to the date.
Saturday, Nov. 28
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is a regular market morning, 9 a.m. to noon at Sturdy Shelter. Holiday weekend or not, the routine stays the same, and Fox Flower Farm's seasonal evergreens are on its regular list.
Sunday, Nov. 29
The Batavia Park District's Celebration of Lights runs from 5 to 7 p.m. on the Batavia Riverwalk, centered on the Peg Bond Center. Christmas Tree Lane has 35 trees decorated by local organizations and businesses. The evening runs on a tight schedule:
- 5 p.m. Free hayrides with a food donation to the Batavia Food Pantry, reindeer in the display trailer, holiday crafts, a performance by the Batavia Community Band and family photos at the Peg Bond Center main stage. Over at the Batavia Depot Museum, the Hometown Holidays exhibit shows Batavians' holiday traditions.
- 5:15 p.m. Craig Foltos of Foltos Tonsorial Parlor leads a community sing-along.
- 5:30 p.m. Santa arrives, followed by a welcome from the mayor and the ceremonial tree lighting.
- 5:45 p.m. Santa's Warming House opens in the Peg Bond Center, with a treat for children younger than 10 while supplies last. The Christmas Tree Lane winners are announced in three categories: People's Choice, Best Holiday Spirit and Most Original Theme.
- 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. The Batavia Public Library hosts story time in the Sky Loft at Callahan Community Center.
Saturday, Dec. 12
Breakfast with Santa runs from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at Shannon Hall, with two time slots and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, according to the Batavia Park District. The market runs that same morning at Sturdy Shelter, so families can go from one to the other before noon.
The Café Listed as Coming Soon
Kitty Cocoa Café is the clearest example of a downtown space being filled. It's planned for 139 First Street as a café with a separate lounge for adoptable cats. The menu will include coffee, Belgian-style hot chocolate, tea and baked goods. In August, Tri-Cities Central reported that the project was getting closer to opening but still needed final city approval. Batavia MainStreet's business directory still lists it as "Coming Soon!" with no opening date.
That's where downtown stands this week. Some storefronts have closed, two of them are ready for new tenants, one café is listed as coming soon and a city plan is in the works, all on different timelines. Batavia MainStreet already has the Saturday market scheduled from the morning of Oct. 31 through May 8, 2027.
Some of the homeowners we work with are weighing a spring listing, and this calendar can help. A home that's ready to show when the market's season winds down in May has had a whole winter of local Saturdays to get ready. If you'd like to know what your home could be worth before then, Holzl Homes is glad to help. Request your free home valuation.
