SPONSORED BY

Good morning, Princeton friends. Ahhhhhhh, feel that cool crisp air? This is the perfect time of year in Illinois. Bears football is two weeks away, the Cubs are back in the NL Central race — the Homestead Festival is almost here. This is a great time to be a Princetonian.

Let’s go.

—Justin Bullington

📬IN THIS ISSUE

💡What You Should Know
🏠Princeton Homes for Sale
☀️Princeton Weather
⛽️Princeton Gas Prices
🥞From Lenny and Joon’s
🗓️Upcoming in Princeton
💼Princeton Businesses
🪴From Hornbaker Gardens
🍿At the Apollo

💡WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Freedom House has an immediate need for donations of paper towels and baby wipes; contributions may be dropped off at 440 Elm Pl, Princeton, or ordered via their Amazon Wishlist.

• BCR: OSF HealthCare has added podiatrist Wanniarachchi to its Princeton and Peru locations, where she will provide general podiatry services and specialize in advanced foot, ankle, and wound care.

• The Homestead Festival has posted the full schedule for September 4–7, 2025, featuring the Walk of Fame, evening concerts, a Saturday 1:30 p.m. parade with family activities, and Sunday events such as the car show and BBQ rib cook-off.

• The Princeton Tigers return to their radio home , WAJK, for the 2025 season.  Once again, you'll be able to hear every Tiger game, home and away, on 99.3 FM. Lucas Burris and Princeton alum Jeremy Reed bring you the action each week. You can stream wherever you are through StarvedRock.media, and listen anywhere with the free WAJK app.  Scroll down for a schedule. Pregame is 6:45 p.m. unless noted.

• The Evangelical Covenant Church in Princeton will host a free family movie night with root beer floats at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, in the church parking lot at 24 N. Main St.

• Princeton High School invites alumni to an Alumni Volleyball Game vs. Bureau Valley on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 at 2 p.m. at the Bureau County Metro Center; registration is $20 per player with 6-on-6 play and multiple rounds.

• Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 10th Annual Witches Night Out on Friday, Oct. 3, 4–10 p.m. in Princeton, featuring evening shopping, festive eats, and live music to celebrate a decade of this downtown tradition.

• The City of Princeton will host an Electronics Recycling Event on Saturday, October 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Bureau County Highway Department; the city’s link provides the list of accepted items.

• Bureau County Sheriff Report 08-21-2025

📍OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS

• Contractor Faces Two Charges of Home Repair Fraud

• Conservation Police Give Details On Fishing Bust On Illinois River

• Tucked away on 4th Street in Peru, Illinois, The Igloo Diner might not stop traffic with its modest exterior, but the heavenly aroma of its legendary chili cheese fries has been stopping locals in their tracks for decades.

🏠PRINCETON HOMES FOR SALE

• This newly listed home at 702 W Hudson St, Princeton offers 5 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms across 2,350 square feet with an open layout and a spacious feel. The main level includes 3 bedrooms, a new kitchen with quartz countertops, a gas fireplace, and a primary suite with walk-in closet and attached bath. The lower level features 2 additional bedrooms, a large family room, and full bath, plus a walkout to a Trex deck overlooking the backyard. Updates include a new roof (2021), siding (2022), appliances (2021), and bathroom (2022), with the seller offering a $4,000 credit toward a new A/C unit due to a small leak in the current one.

• This timeless 3-bed, 3-bath home at 443 E Peru St offers over 2,200 square feet of elegant living space full of historic charm and updated functionality. Built in 1898, it features 9-foot ceilings, original wood trim, french doors, a gorgeous bannister, and a bright kitchen with practical island and custom finishes throughout. A spacious sunroom, oversized walk-in shower, full basement, bonus room with kitchenette potential, and professionally landscaped yard with a natural-look water fountain add to the home’s appeal. The heated 2-car garage and inviting backyard deck make this property a true oasis in the heart of Princeton.

• Located on a corner lot, this updated 5-bed, 2-bath home at 405 N Church St offers 1,760 square feet of comfortable living space and a detached 2-car garage. Recent upgrades include new carpet and paint, a modern kitchen with new sink and appliances, PEX plumbing in the basement, and a newly installed radon mitigation system. The layout features one bedroom and a full bath on the main level, with four additional bedrooms and another full bath upstairs, along with an eat-in kitchen, formal dining room, and main-floor laundry. Beautiful hardwood floors run throughout the living, dining, and foyer areas, adding warmth and charm to this 1891-built home.

🌼DANDELION WISHES REFURBISHED FURNITURE

Michelle DeVoss has this refurbished lodge chair available at her home shop in Sheffield. The front and back have been decoupaged with a buffalo and a southwestern design and sealed for durability. The frame and seat have also been redesigned. This is a unique chair that will make a statement. Asking price is $250 and limited delivery may be available. 

Be sure to follow “Dandelion Wishes Refurbished Furniture” on Facebook for upcoming projects! Michelle can be reached through Facebook Messenger or by email at [email protected]. 

🌤️PRINCETON WEATHER

🌤Today: Intervals of clouds and sunshine with a comfortable late-August feel. Afternoon highs reach 75°F with a light ESE breeze 5–10 mph and modest humidity. The evening turns partly cloudy and cooler, dipping to about 50°F.

⛅Wednesday, Aug 27: A pleasant mix of sun and clouds through the day, topping out near 77°F with SE winds 5–10 mph. A few showers are possible late; overnight looks mostly cloudy with a low around 58°F.

🌤Thursday, Aug 28: Partly cloudy and seasonable, afternoon highs near 78°F. Expect a light WNW wind around 5–10 mph. The night stays partly cloudy and comfortable with lows near 57°F.

🌥Friday, Aug 29: Periods of sun filtered by clouds; highs around 76°F with a gentle ENE wind ~7 mph. Friday night is mostly cloudy and cool near 59°F, with a slight shower chance (~20%).

⛅Saturday, Aug 30: Partly to mostly cloudy skies keep highs close to 76°F. A light ESE breeze continues. The evening is partly cloudy and mild, settling back to around 58°F.

⛽️PRINCETON GAS PRICES

Regular

Amoco, 720 N Main St: $3.29
Sullivan’s Foods: $3.29
Casey’s West/North: $3.29
Beck’s West/North: $3.39
Road Ranger, N Main St: $3.29
Shell, 2225 N Main St: $3.39

🗓️UPCOMING IN PRINCETON

🥒 Illinois Extension Workshop at Bureau County Senior Center — Join Susan Glassman for a presentation on healthy seasonal meals and refrigerator pickles at 16 W Marion Street, Tuesday, August 26, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM.

🎉 Gateway Services 55th Open House Celebration — Celebrate 55 years of empowering people and enriching community at Gateway Services, 406 S Gosse Blvd, on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM.

🎸David Miner and Charlie Jones will bring their blend of classic country storytelling to Barrel Society on Thursday, August 28.

🍕 Wood-Fired Pizza Nights at Hungry World Farm — Enjoy farm tours, baby goat snuggling, and wood-fired pizza at Hungry World Farm, 19183 Plow Creek Rd, Tiskilwa, on Saturdays August 30, September 6, and September 13, from 5:00 PM to 7:30 PM.

🐾 Dog Days of Summer: Remembering KC — Hornbaker Gardens hosts a day of dog-friendly fun with agility courses, enrichment activities, and shelter support on Saturday, August 30, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

🏋️ Intro to Kettlebell for Women — Learn kettlebell fundamentals for strength and confidence at Limitless Body Sculpting, 219 S Main St, Princeton, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at 6:30 PM.

🥁Midnight Rider at Soldier & Sailors Park — Enjoy live music with Midnight Rider at Soldier & Sailors Park on Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at 700 S Main Street.

🐶 UKC/SRS Dock Jumping Season Shutdown – Dock jumping competitions for dogs with UKC/SRS registration. September 13–14 at 1616 N Main Street. Details and registration at ukcdogs.com.

🚗 Open Garage – A car show featuring vendors, food, and more vehicles at Rotary Park in Princeton. Saturday, September 20, 8–11 AM

🛍️ 12th Annual Artisan Market – Over 30 artists, food trucks, live music, beer & wine at Hornbaker Gardens. Saturday, September 20, 10 AM–4 PM. Free admission.

🔒PRINCETON NOW PREMIUM

• Princeton NOW Premium subscribers receive:

  🚫Ad free

  ❤️Local Obituaries

  🚔Arrests

  🏡Property Transfers

  🔍Health Department Food Inspections

  💍Marriages

  🏛️Board and City Council Meeting Summaries

  ⏫Upgrade your newsletter today and join 191 others.

🎉2025 GRAND MARSHAL DR. BARBARA SWALVE EVERETT AND DR. RICHARD EVERETT

The Bureau County Homestead Festival Committee is proud to announce Dr. Barbara Swalve Everett and Dr. Richard Everett as the 2025 Grand Marshals for the 54th Annual Homestead Festival, taking place September 4–7, 2025.

The Everett’s, married for 45 years, have lived and served in Princeton since 1980. Together, they founded Princeton Chiropractic Center in 1984, where they offered chiropractic care, physical therapy, and wellness support for over four decades. Known not only for their professional excellence but for their humility, teamwork, and community-first mindset, the Everetts have made a lasting impact on generations of local families.

Beyond their practice, the Everetts have dedicated themselves to community causes for over 45 years. They’ve mentored countless healthcare professionals, supported local athletics, led school fundraisers and playground projects, and were founding organizers of the Z-Tour Bike Ride—now one of the top ten cycling events in the Midwest. Their service includes contributions to Perry Memorial Hospital’s renovations, the PHS gymnasium project, Jefferson Elementary school fundraisers.

In 2017, the Illinois Chiropractic Society named them Chiropractors of the Year—the first time the award was presented to a couple.

“We are deeply honored and grateful,” said the Everetts. “Our greatest joy has been walking alongside the people of this community. Princeton is truly home.”

The Bureau County Homestead Festival Committee invites the public to celebrate the Everetts during the 2025 Homestead Festival Parade and throughout the weekend’s events.

🥞FROM LENNY AND JOON’S

Hello Friends!

As many of you know, Corbin and I have been working on fulfilling a dream: feeding people. Last fall, we purchased a charming historic building on South Main Street—our dream space—where we’re opening Lenny & Joon’s, named after our daughters. We’ll be serving breakfast and lunch to the community we love.

So, when are we opening? That’s still a bit up in the air. The building has great bones, and a vintage charm we love, but we’ve been tackling some projects this year —reviving the original hardwood floors, adding a second bathroom, and preparing for our biggest challenge yet: the kitchen. While much of the structure is in place, the commercial kitchen upgrades (especially the hood vent) have been more complex and costly than we anticipated.

We’re making steady progress, and although we’ve passed a few self-imposed opening goals already, our new timeline is simple: we’ll open when we’re ready. And trust me—we are just as excited as you are to turn on that “open” sign and welcome you in.

In the meantime… we have exciting news! We’ll be hosting a pop-up preview during Homestead Weekend: 📍 Saturday, Sept 6 & Sunday, Sept 7 We’ll serve a limited menu of breakfast, lunch, and some delicious (non-alcoholic) drinks.

It’s our way of giving you a little sneak peek of the space and letting Corbin cook up something special for you all. We’ll share our pop-up menu and hours as the date gets closer—hope to see you there!

P.s.- give our page a like to stay connected and receive updates!

💼PRINCETON BUSINESSES

• Corner Chair Market is featuring a barnwood dresser that combines open shelving with closed drawers, making it a striking storage piece for an entry, kitchen, or any corner of the home.

• The City of Princeton Animal Control has cats and kittens available for adoption; interested adopters can call 815-875-1150 for details.

• Five 22 has new apparel arrivals that are ideal for transitioning into fall and for family photo outfits; shoppers are encouraged to stop in today.

• Monical’s Pizza of Princeton has released a new coupon sheet, including offers such as a 16″ one-topping thin crust for $19, two 16″ one-topping thin crusts for $35, and a 14″ thin crust with up to three toppings for $18.50; please see the post for online codes and expiration dates.

• Optimal Health has stocked a selection of “Bobby-approved” back-to-school snacks, including better-ingredient chips, fruit snacks, jerky, and chocolate options.

• Fore Fun Golf Fun-Raiser takes place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Wyaton Hills Golf Course (8:00 a.m. registration, 9:00 a.m. tee time); $100 per person/$400 per team, limited to 22 teams, with lunch, cart, gift bag, and four drink tickets included (contact Dava Klinefelter to register).

• Hornbaker Gardens will hold its Dog Days of Summer in-store sale Friday–Saturday, August 29–30, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., offering 20% off perennials, grasses, daylilies, trees, and shrubs (hostas excluded), along with a Saturday adoption day—“Remembering KC”—in partnership with Friends of Strays.

• Miss Betsy’s has announced Labor Day weekend hours: Saturday 8/30, 5:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m.; Sunday 8/31, closed; Monday 9/1, closed; the shop will reopen Thursday 9/4.

• Cafe Grace is serving comfort food at 1009 N. Main St.; hours are Tue–Thu 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Fri & Sat 8 a.m.–2 p.m. and 4–8 p.m., Sun 8 a.m.–2 p.m., with rotating specials (e.g., Taco Wednesday, Strawberry Pecan Salad Thursday) and call-ahead takeout at 815-872-4000.

• Rossy’s BBQ Joint has brought back the Crab Rangoon egg roll, added to the sampler alongside Dublin Delight, Philly Fusion, and Bacon Jale-Pop; open 11 a.m.–9 p.m., with kids eat free this weekend with an adult entrée purchase.

• Little Blue Dress continues its Annual Birkenstock Sale—15% off sandals and sneakers (excludes clogs) through August; hours are Mon–Sat 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m., Sun 12–4 p.m.

• Paisano’s Ristorante debuts Devin’s Devilish Fried Brownie Bites—crispy, caramel-drizzled, powdered-sugar treats that pair with rolled ice cream in Strawberry Cheesecake or Reese’s Puff.

✉️NEW SUBSCRIBER?

You have access to all previous newsletters: click here to read them.

👉Please, please, please make sure to add the Princeton NOW newsletter email address as a “contact,” “VIP,” or “Whitelist” in your email service. This will prevent it from going to spam or bouncing.

🪴FROM HORNBAKER GARDENS

Just a friendly Monday reminder: It's DRY out there! It's not time for trees and shrubs to enter dormancy. It's our job as gardeners to ensure that all trees go into the winter with lovely damp roots. The roots are alive all year round, and they take in water even when they start to drop leaves or if they start to look a little crispy.

It may be feeling cooler and there is a lovely breeze, but remember that a breeze dries out the plants faster and we haven't had measurable rain in a while. If you are in our local area, remember that you should be watering in your first (and second) year trees and shrubs on a weekly basis, particularly if we aren't receiving measurable rain. Vegetables and Perennials planted this season also need water on a routine basis. Check out our watering resources for fall watering tips from Dave Hornbaker and the team.

Dave's Watering Video: https://tinyurl.com/DaveHornbakerWateringTips Watering Resource Handout: https://tinyurl.com/hornbakerwatering Caring for a Newly Planted Tree: https://tinyurl.com/HornbakerNewTreeCare

🍿AT THE APOLLO

Angel Studios: SKETCH (PG)

A heartfelt story filled with family themes and humor, SKETCH delivers uplifting inspiration in Angel Studios’ style.

• Tuesday–Thursday: 6:15 PM only

WEAPONS (R)

An intense drama that dives into dark and complex themes, WEAPONS is raw, haunting, and thought-provoking.

• Tuesday–Thursday: 6:00 PM only

*The last show on Sundays is open-captioned.

🎟️ Tickets available at apolloprinceton.com or at the box office.

Want to advertise? Email: [email protected].