The Village of Antioch is developing a Strategic Marketing Plan to better communicate the character and identity of this place to its residents, businesses, and visitors. As part of this process, the Village asked residents to tell us their favorite memory of Antioch—where it happened, why it was so meaningful, and the feelings it evoked. The responses perfectly captured what makes Antioch so special and helped us to define major themes and stories we want to tell about this small town with a big heart. The Strategic Marketing Plan will serve as a road map for future marketing content and events and programs, all while ensuring the story of Antioch remains true to who we are—authentic by nature. Here are just a few stories we couldn’t wait to share with you…
“My son was skipping and he looked at me and said, mama I love this town can we live here forever?”
Nostalgic but with a bright future. Many of the memories of this place speak to the feeling of nostalgia. The vintage vibes of the historic buildings, Main Street events, local business support, and all-around friendliness of its people are interwoven to create a genuine small-town experience that harkens back to a simpler time. While these vibes can bring you down memory lane, they also point to the future. To investment in downtown beautification; new shops, restaurants, and industry; and a younger generation that will form their own memories, achievements, and families in this small town with a big heart.
“When we moved here, we came from the city and it is much different here…there are stars! And clean air.”
Antioch is a place where you can escape. In the age where it seems no matter where you go, the stress follows, Antioch is an antidote to the overloaded. Whether recounted by residents or visitors, so many favorite memories captured the feeling of entering Antioch and letting go. In this place, you can connect to nature through boating, hiking, horseback riding, fishing, and cross-country skiing. You can look above and see the stars at night—stars that appear a hundred times brighter away from the lights of the city. And you can slow down and breathe in the clean air, purified by the thousands of acres of surrounding wooded preserves.
“My husband proposed to me after we had breakfast at Vegas diner. We lived above one of the businesses downtown at the time.”
Antioch is filled with local characters that collectively make this place home. So many favorite memories were of the community coming together—from the Homecoming Parade and Bonfire, to the 4th of July Parade, to the Easter Egg Hunt. Set in the backdrop of Antioch’s Main Street, parks, and Bandshell, these memories capture the collective experience of Antioch and celebrate the events and programs that have always been one of the most cherished parts of the community.
“My family has been in Antioch for generations and I have always loved hearing about where they lived and how they would visit a lot of the same places I still do today.”
There’s a lot to uncover here. The stories of Antioch are not only found in its people and places, but also deep below its soil. To this day, farmers still unearth Native American artifacts from the Potawatomie tribes that inhabited the land until the 1800s. Whether hiking through the preserves or strolling down Main Street, a million stories about the history of this place—and the generations before us—are just waiting to be told.
