Veterans Day 2026 in the Tri-Cities: ceremony and help for vets

St. Charles holds its Veterans Day ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Fire Station No. 1, and it is free. Here is that plan, plus the Kane County office and the Batavia and Geneva posts that help veterans the other 364 days.

St. Charles Veterans Day Ceremony

The City of St. Charles holds its 2026 ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Fire Station No. 1, 112 N. Riverside Ave. The program opens with the National Anthem, followed by remarks, a closing prayer, a gun salute and Taps. It is free and open to the public.

The city lists LTC (Ret) Mark Powell as the contact at 630-329-6444. Event details: St. Charles Veterans Day Ceremony.

Geneva and Batavia

Other Nov. 11 events, including a veterans luncheon in Geneva and a free concert at St. Charles North High School, are in our week-ahead roundup.

Two more ways to mark the day:

• Give blood at the Batavia VFW. Versiti's blood bus stops at Batavia Overseas VFW Post 1197, 645 S. River St., on Nov. 11 from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Details: Versiti blood drive at VFW Post 1197.
• Visit the Kane County Veterans Memorial. It stands at the Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Ave. in Geneva, and Kane County says it is open to the public year round.

Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission

If you served and have not sorted out your benefits, start here. The Veterans Assistance Commission helps veterans apply for the benefits they earned, and the county says its help is free.

• Where: Kane County Government Center, 719 Batavia Ave., Building A, Geneva
• Phone: 630-232-3550
• Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, by appointment only

The commission's page covers VA health care, disability compensation, VA pension, the GI Bill, VA home loans, survivor and burial benefits, requests for military records, the CTA Military Service Pass, the Illinois Veterans Grant and the Ride in Kane transportation program. To ask about Veterans Assistance, call the office or stop in.

Local posts

Batavia Overseas VFW Post 1197 has served veterans and the Batavia community since 1946 from its spot along the Fox River at 645 S. River St. The post says it works closely with the Kane County VAC to connect veterans with benefits help. Bar phone: 630-879-9630. This spring the post and the VAC hosted a Veteran Resource Fair that Kane County says drew more than 40 organizations.

American Legion Fox River Geneva Post 75 has its hall at 22 S. Second St. in downtown Geneva. The post's site invites eligible veterans to join or renew their membership.

If you or a veteran you know is struggling

The Veterans Crisis Line is available any time: dial 988, then press 1.