Photos from May 2020: Downtown Lake Geneva reopens during coronavirus pandemic
Check out this gallery of photos from downtown Lake Geneva, as business owners and shoppers try to enjoy a return to normalcy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Shoppers return to Main Street during pandemic
Crowds in downtown Lake Geneva have included many people not wearing face masks or taking other safety precautions to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.
Shoppers in Christine's Gift Shop in Lake Geneva
Shoppers Chuck Settles, left, and Carol Palfroman, both of Rochelle, Illinois, opt to go face mask-less while shopping inside Christine's Gift Shop, 858 W. Main St., in downtown Lake Geneva.
Cars line up heading into downtown Lake Geneva
Motorists wait in line May 16 along Main Street as shoppers and visitors pour into downtown Lake Geneva on the first Saturday after a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling allowed many businesses to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic.
Customers wait in line at Kilwins candy shop
Customers line up outside Kilwins Lake Geneva candy and ice cream shop May 16 as shoppers and tourists return to downtown Lake Geneva during the coronavirus outbreak.
Leather Accents owner Linda Longwell wears face mask
Linda Longwell, a store owner in downtown Lake Geneva, wears a face mask to safeguard against spreading the coronavirus.
Oakfire restaurant crowd poses for a picture
An employee at Oakfire restaurant in downtown Lake Geneva takes a picture of customers in sidewalk seating in May as crowds of tourists arrived in the city without face masks.
Woman relaxes on bench with her bulldog on Broad Street
Taking a breather on a bench May 16 along Broad Street in downtown Lake Geneva, Mary Ingraffia-Ksiazek of Bartlett, Illinois, enjoys a sunny day with her French bulldog, "Stas."
Overland Sheepskin employees prepare for returning shoppers
Overland Sheepskin Company store employees, Diana Bahrke, left, and Tyler Blohm, prepare merchandise for shoppers as the downtown Lake Geneva clothing store reopens during the coronavirus pandemic.
Visitors wear face masks in Library Park in Lake Geneva
Visitors on the Lake Geneva lakefront show that some in the community are choosing to wear face masks, while many others are not.
Candle shop worker gets candles ready for shoppers
Natalie Sliwinski, employee at The Candle Mercantile, 870 W. Main St., prepares some candles for customers after reopening the candle shop in downtown Lake Geneva.
Shoppers seek return to normalcy in downtown Lake Geneva
Sandra Mesa, from left, Debbie Wester and Patricia Haisman enjoy a day of shopping in downtown Lake Geneva. Local businesses have experienced in an increase in foot traffic now that the state’s “Safer at Home” order has been lifted.
Crowds back on Main Street in Lake Geneva
Many shoppers and visitors forgo face masks and other public health guidelines on Main Street in downtown Lake Geneva as stores reopen May 17 during the coronavirus pandemic. Many people flocked from Illinois to Lake Geneva after a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling allowed Wisconsin businesses to reopen.
Bookstore employee wears face mask as stores reopen during pandemic
Raina Remeeus, owner of Dust Bunny Books, 152 Center St., joins other business owners in wearing a face mask, although many shops are allowing customers to forgo the public health safeguard.
Popeye's outdoor patio fills up during first Saturday back
The outdoor dining area of Popeye’s on Lake Geneva, 811 Wrigley Drive, could have more shade this summer, as owners plan to install three outdoor umbrellas to the area.
Through a new initiative, the orchestra will share playlists and videos involving player profiles and educational content.
Mike Lindsey, of the town of Geneva, offers his take on previous guest columns by Paul Kristoffersen in this letter to the editor.
With discussion on a state coronavirus bill ongoing and no final agreement yet announced, Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, who represents the Ge…
This year has been a year like no other. Going back to March it was no question that coronavirus would top this year’s list of stories of the …
Sen. Nass said: “The people of Wisconsin have been living with COVID 19 for almost a year now. They are more than capable of determining for themselves and their family what steps are appropriate in their daily lives without the heavy hand of Evers.”
Businesses in Lake Geneva’s downtown tourism and shopping district are wasting no time in reopening for customers during the coronavirus pandemic.
WHITEWATER — A drive-through coronavirus testing site is opening this week in Whitewater to provide free testing to people with or without sym…
Lake Geneva city officials are considering new limits on crowds in the city's downtown tourism district, after large crowds gathered without e…
WHITEWATER — Motorists are lining up by the dozens to be tested for the coronavirus at a new drive-through testing site at the University of W…
Lake Geneva aldermen to conduct special meeting to develop social distancing guidelines and city sidewalks and outdoor areas.
Tents full of baked goods, fruits and veggies filled the streets around Horticultural Hall on May 28 as Lake Geneva’s farmers market made its …
Riviera Beach staff experiences comings and goings with supervisors.
Health officials in Illinois say tourists packing into Lake Geneva's crowded shops and restaurants have not emerged as a major coronavirus trend south of the border. But officials also say investigation and coordination on such potential cases has not been exhaustive.
A popular restaurant and tavern on the Lake Geneva lakefront has closed its doors temporarily after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
Some businesses in Lake Geneva are telling — not asking — customers to put on face masks before coming inside. The business owners say the response has not always been cheerful compliance.
Walworth County has surpassed 500 cases of coronavirus, doubling the number of people who were infected when the state's "Safer At Home" regul…
Carrying decades of experience between them, Big Foot High School says goodbye to seven employees this summer.
Mayor Charlene Klein plans to form an ad hoc committee to discuss future Riviera renovation projects.
Inspired Coffee shop, which employs people with disabilities, has opened in Lake Geneva after several months of planning.
The New Beginnings domestic violence shelter has been approved after a judge determined the city's first rejection of the facility was unfounded.
Local restaurants that recently closed because of coronavirus cases plan to re-open soon.
Angel statue adorned atop Riviera fountain damaged by vandalism.
Faced with a petition signed by 1,400 people demanding a face mask requirement in Lake Geneva, the city's elected leaders are taking steps to …
The question of whether to require Lake Geneva visitors to wear face masks to combat the spread of coronavirus is headed back to the Lake Gene…
Lake Geneva Oktoberfest has been cancelled, but Maxwell Street Days will go on as scheduled.
The Geneva Lake Association’s annual meeting has been canceled because of the coronavirus, but all of the materials, speeches and scholarship …
Emagine Geneva Lakes theater set to re-open Aug. 21 with suspense thriller "Unhinged."
The mother of fallen Big Foot High School graduate Logan Tomasello wants a permanent memorial in a place that meant something to him: his childhood hockey rink.
Williams Bay's former railway has been honored with the installation of a new downtown mural depicting a classic steam train.
Lake Geneva Business Improvement District Board plans to reduce expenses to have positive fund balance.
He started out as a regular customer on the Lake Geneva nightlife scene, but Bill Boroni soon opened his own place and created an institution known as Fat Cat's tavern.
On Thursday, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state's largest business organization, along with two local chambers of commerce, filed a lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court seeking to block the release of business names.
Lake Geneva aldermen propose starting paid parking in February next year.
Built in the 1850s, the historic Maxwell Mansion boutique hotel in downtown Lake Geneva could soon have new owners with experience in the hospitality industry.
Walworth County health officials today said the coronavirus surge has left them unable to notify and research all newly infected cases, so they are prioritizing the elderly and children.
