Batavia’s Windmill Festival a home run

Both Chicago baseball teams have had a tough time hitting the ball out of the park this summer.

But there were home runs aplenty Saturday afternoon at the Windmill City Festival in downtown Batavia.

Matthew Henkel, 13, of Batavia, hit 31 home runs in the Wiffle ball contest sponsored by the Batavia Park District.

“It was pretty fun,” said Henkel, whose take for second place included a Wiffle ball and bat, a medal and gift card. “I have a whiffle ball field in my back yard.”

Jake Conrad, 12, won the kids division and Enzio Manzela took first place in the adult contest.

“We wanted to put in something new,” explained Michael Rolnicki, athletic supervisor for the park district. “A lot of people like to hit home runs.”

The festival, which runs through Sunday, also featured some of the old standards like a carnival, food booths and a flea market.

Steve and Lisa Seaney of Glen Ellyn planned to take their kids — Dominic, 4, Renee, 7, and Darren, 10, — to all three attractions. The Seaney clan came to the festival because Renee was in an Irish dancing exhibition earlier in the day.

“The (Fox) River makes it relaxing,” said Lisa Seaney. “It’s nice. It’s not too crowded.”

One community group tent that was drawing a crowd was a raffle for three mini bulldog statutes that are part of the “Bulldogs Unleashed” public art/fundraiser by the Batavia Education Foundation, Batavia Parks Foundation and Batavia Public Library Foundation.

A raffle for the three mini bulldogs and live auction for dozens of the larger bulldogs scattered around town will be held Sept. 10.

“It truly is a communitywide effort. It’s been a good experience to bring people together,” said Lynn Elam, library foundation president. “People really like the small bulldogs. They want to take them home.”