End your summer with free concerts at Algonquin Commons
The folks at Algonquin Commons are seeing summer out in style.
They're holding an end-of-summer bash the last weekend in August.
The Rock and Shop Concert Weekend, which runs from Aug. 28-30, will feature live musical performances and sales throughout the mall.
In the past, Algonquin Commons has held a summer concert series, similar to the one a little south along Randall Road at Geneva Commons.
However, this year, the concerts in Algonquin will all be combined into one big weekend concert series.
The three-day event begins Friday with a performance by Chicago-area band Alex & the Allstars.
The band, which says it brings new life to popular rock songs, will perform from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Commons area of the mall.
Following Alex & the Allstars, HiFi Superstar will take the stage.
The band, which plays your favorite dance and party rock songs from the 1970s through today, will perform from 6:30 to 9 p.m.
The shopping and songs continue the next day.
Saturday night, Supercrush performs from 5 to 8 p.m.
The band plays it all, from hard rock to Top 40 and hip-hop.
The last concert of the weekend will be a performance by Final Say, from 4 to 7 p.m., Sunday. The band will play classics and new hits.
The event is free all weekend and open to the public.
Book signing:
Local author Katherine Brankin will be signing her debut novel "The Family Girl" at Geneva Commons this weekend.
Brankin of Batavia will be at the Banana Republic store along Randall Road in Geneva Commons from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 22.
The new book is a thriller about an assassin named Catalina Bennett who is following the career of her father, who also was an assassin.
Keep them entertained:
Are the older siblings heading back to school this month? It can be tricky keeping the younger ones entertained all day long when their older sisters and brothers are off at school.
The Barnes and Noble in Geneva has something planned that you can bring the kids to at least once each week to keep them entertained and to keep their minds stimulated.
The store at 102 Commons Drive hosts a weekly story time.
At 10:30 a.m. every Monday and Thursday in the children's area, there will be stories read aloud about favorite children's book characters.
After the story time, there will be an activity, such as coloring or chalk art or time.
The story times are geared toward children ages 8 and under.
Throughout each month, the store also hosts a number of other activities for children, all of which are open to the public and free. For example, this Saturday it is hosting an additional story time at 11 a.m. focused on the book "The Day the Crayons Came Home."
For information on any of these activities at the Randall Road store, call (630) 262-8568.
• Amy Williams' column covers all the news of business along the Randall Road corridor from South Elgin to Batavia. Contact her at randallbiz@comcast.net or at (847) 894-5036.