Batavia to celebrate Preservation Week with bar crawl, trolley tours and more

Batavia businesses and organizations will come together to host a week of events for Preservation Week from April 28 through May 4, where community members can dive into the history of the community and celebrate the sights and spaces that make Batavia special.

Residents will learn about Batavia’s people and places through a bar crawl, trolley tour, workshop and informal conversations about Batavia’s origins, history and the people who call it home, according to a news release announcing the event.

Preservation Week is presented by the Batavia Depot Museum, Batavia Historical Society, Batavia Public Library and Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley. In addition to the several community events, organizers will be posting fun facts, hidden histories, and local trivia on social media all week long, according to the release.

This year’s Preservation Week theme is “Preserving Identities,” which will highlight the importance of local history and inspire residents to preserve their personal, family and community collections for future generations, according to the release.

“Batavia is so proud of its identity,” Batavia Depot Museum Director Kate Garrett said in a news release. “During Preservation Week we want to celebrate the places and people that shaped how the community thinks of itself. Unless people care about and protect those things, they often disappear to time.”

The Batavia Public Library will host “Digging in and Opening Up: Gathering and Preserving Family Stories” from 7 to 8 p.m. on April 30 in the Founders Room of the library. The free event will feature a presentation by professional genealogy sleuth Tina Beaird, who will teach residents how to gather and preserve your family’s history for future generations. Those planning to attend should register here.

New this year is a Community History Roundtable, which will be held at 10 a.m. on May 1 at the Peg Bond Center, 151 N. Island Ave. The free community event will feature coffee, snacks and an informal conversation about life in the Batavia of yesteryear. Free, preregistration recommended

Enjoy coffee, snacks and an informal conversation about life in the Batavia of yesteryear. The conversation starts with a screening of “Love Letter to Cape Cod” and live Q & A with Protect Our Past founder and president Ellen Briggs, guided by Al Watts of Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley, according to the release.

The “Cheers Through the Years” bar crawl will return this year, from 7 to 9 p.m. on May 3 beginning at the Batavia Depot Museum, and will highlight Batavia’s well-preserved downtown structures that now house watering holes such as Sidecar Supper Club & Beer Garden and Sturdy Shelter Brewing, according to the release. The bar crawl will cost $10 per person, and those planning to attend should register here.

“Shared public spaces like this [Sturdy Shelter Brewing] shape a community’s identity,” Garrett said. “In the 1880s Batavians could meet up with friends and family at the Music Hall for opera, public meetings and special events. This year, folks can visit the exact same spot on the bar crawl to enjoy music and a well-crafted drink.”

The History Trolley: Batavia’s Greatest Hits will tour the city from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on May 4, beginning and ending at the Batavia Depot Museum. The trolley will visit some of Batavia’s 11 locations on the National Register of Historic Places, including landmarks like the former East Batavia School, now home to Barco Products and Music Matters School of Music, according to the release.

The trolley tour will cost $22 per person, and those planning to attend should register here.

For more information on our Batavia Park District programs and events, call (630) 879-5235 or visit bataviaparks.org.