Briefs: Beautify Geneva

Volunteers are needed to plant fall flowers in the flowerbeds throughout downtown Geneva Saturday. New volunteers should report at 8 a.m. to the beds by the Geneva Post Office, James and Third streets, to be assigned a location. Bring garden gloves, rakes, pruning shears, brooms and trowels. If there is a thunderstorm, the planting will be done at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call Ald. Dorothy Flanagan at (630) 638-2475.

Fulks at benefit concert

National recording artist Robbie Fulks headlines the Saturday. Concert for a Cure, which raises money for the Paul Ruby Foundation. The foundation supports the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The concert will also feature HOSS, Noah Gabriel and the Gaddis Girls. Lisa Dent of radio station US99 will emcee. Tickets to the Concert for a Cure, dinner and silent auction ($25 for adults; $10 for children 12 and under) are available at Park Place Interiors, Kiss the Sky and Mill Creek Market, all in Geneva. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.paulrubyfoundation.org.

Mighty Viking race

The Geneva Academic Foundation will host its fourth annual Mighty Viking Boat Race during the Festival of the Vine from 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 13 at Island Park. Thousands of miniature boats will be released into the Fox River from the State Street Bridge. Festivities will include games, music, food and raffles, Raffle prizes include a 42-inch plasma HDTV and a pair of diamond earrings. Local bands The Sketches Trio and Waiting for Yesterday will perform. The silent auction will again include the "Sleigh Ride With Santa," an item that can only be obtained at this event. For ticket information, visit www.gafgeneva.org.

Batavia house tour

Batavia MainStreet presents the Batavia House Walk from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 6 "A Walk on the Avenue" features an English Cottage, Tutor, Italianate, cottage in the woods and contemporary on the near west side. The homes are close enough together to walk from downtown parking and back to the tea at the Batavia Depot Museum. More information about the Batavia House Walk is available at www.bataviahousewalk.com. Presale tickets are $25 each and can be purchased online or at Bee-Attitudes Antiques (9 S. Batavia Ave.), Sue's Family Hair Co., (137 S. Batavia Ave), K. Hollis Jewelers (147 S. Randall Road) and Gibby's Wine Den in Geneva (1772 S. Randall Road) as well as the MainStreet office (2 E Wilson St., upstairs). Tickets are $30 the day of the event. The House Walk benefits Batavia MainStreet and efforts to revitalize downtown Batavia.