Batavia's Big Weekend: Citywide Garage Sale + Loyalty Day Parade Info

Will you be a part of two of Batavia's biggest annual events this weekend?

The 19th Annual Batavia City-Wide Garage Sale kicks off today and continues through tomorrow, May 5. There are just over 200 registered sales happening throughout the city. Be sure to go early to snag the best deals and find the best products.

The City-Wide Garage Sale runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today, May 4, and May 5.

Once you've rested from your shopping trip, head on out to the 38th Annual Batavia VFW Loyalty Day Parade on Sunday. The parade will feature 100 (yes, one-hundred!) entries, cars or floats from Batavia-area military groups, police and fire, city officials, community organizations, school groups and local businesses (including Batavia Patch).

The Batavia VFW Loyalty Day Parade begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, May 6, at Wilson Street and Raddant Road. The parade will head west on Wilson and then south on River Street (Route 25) to finish at the , 645 S. River St.

Parade watchers can line up on Wilson Street or River Street to take in the parade. An exact map of the route can be found in the photo gallery on this page.

Here's more info on both events, including the Batavia weather forecast during each event:

City-Wide Garage Sale

The map for the garage sale is on this page as a JPEG and as a PDF. Our "zoom in" range on the map is limited, so you might also want to download the map here.

Proceeds of the fees paid by willing sellers go to support .

On Saturday the City-wide sale will also include a flea market downtown. Merchants who registered will be set up at near First Street and Shumway Avenue. The Flea Market runs 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 4 only.

Weather Forecast: Today, May 4, will be overcast with a 40 percent chance of a thunderstorm and rain. The high will be 75 degrees.

Saturday, May 5, will be cloudy with a 30 percent chance of a thunderstorm and rain. The high will be 79 degrees.

Batavia VFW Loyalty Day Parade

This year's theme is "The VFW Tree of Life," dedicated to the various branches of the military that provide an umbrella of protection to all residents.

After the parade, there will be food, activities and entertainment on the VFW post grounds for the entire family. The Batavia VFW is located at 645 S. River St. (Route 25) in Batavia.

Weather Forecast: Sunday, May 6 will be cloudy with a 40 percent chance of a thunderstorm and rain. The high will be 75 degrees.

Parade Participants

Editor's note: We had the run the parade list as its own story because it was too big. To see the full list, .

Parade Street Closures

On the day of the parade (May 6), Wilson Street will be closed starting on the east side at Woodland Hills Road all the way downtown across the bridge to Island Avenue. The closure will last from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 6, or until the parade is complete.

Route 25 commuters will be sent to Route 31 during the parade. Please use the either the Route 56 or Fabyan Parkway bridges as detours during these hours. Adjust your travel times accordingly.

All motorists should be prepared to encounter increased pedestrian traffic in the downtown area during the hours of 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., according to the . Call the department at 630-454-2500 if you have any questions about the closures.

Please Support the Parade

The annual Loyalty Day Parade is one of the largest parades in Northern Illinois. The parade depends on donations from, and the support of, area businesses and volunteers.

Donations help the Men’s and Ladies Auxiliaries provide food for parade participants and service personnel, along with other parade expenses.

The community is encouraged to support this event by sending donations to:

Batavia VFW Post 1197

ATTN: Loyalty Day Parade Treasurer

P.O. Box 82

Batavia, IL 60510