Vintage Values: McHenry County stores join Shop Hop through northern Illinois, Wisconsin

If you love vintage finds, don’t run, hop, to the fourth annual Vintage Shop Hop on March 3 and 4.

Hit the road solo or grab some friends to visit any of the 300-plus shops featured in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Participating stores will offer a special something for the event, from raffle items, demos and special promotions or discounts.

Refreshed Furnishings in Cary is one of the 20 locations in McHenry County participating in the event. Owner Susan McCabe and her husband, Dennis, take older furniture pieces and make them look like new again.

“We take older furniture [pieces] that have lived a good life and give them a new look,” Susan McCabe said. “We bring them back to life with chalk-like paints that don’t contain VOCs.”

Refreshed Furnishings opened in September 2016. This is its first time participating in the Shop Hop, and in honor of the event, McCabe will have a chalk paint demo and drawings for discounts on purchases.

McHenry’s White River Junction is back again on the Shop Hop after participating in last year’s event. Owners Mary Moerdick and Karen Fuchs have been open since 2000. Moerdick said the Shop Hop is a great event for small businesses as well as community members.

“Each shop offers something different, and everyone has their own spin on things,” Moerdick said. “It’s a great girlfriend day to get out and just poke around together and find something fun and new.”

Moerdick said she liked the boost the Vintage Shop Hop has given to their social media platform, a great asset for small businesses.

White River Junction offers repurposed, vintage and retail pieces as well as sign workshops and custom painting for customers. Attendees will receive a 10 percent discount if they mention the event.

Sisters Laurie Rizzolo and Christy Ogurek will host a pop-up shop at The Urban Farmhouse in Crystal Lake for the Shop Hop. The two do their work for their business It’s Flippin’ Vintage from their homes.

Rizzolo said she is very excited to be part of the Crystal Lake group for the event.

“We’ve been to all of the stores that are participating from Crystal Lake, and we just love them,” Rizzolo said.

It’s Flippin’ Vintage will offer pieces that put a new twist on mid-century modern as well as other styles. Rizzolo said she has an affinity for magazine racks, so some of those definitely will be available for purchase.

“I had a woman buy quite a few from me for Christmas to give as gifts. She filled them their favorite magazines or books gave them as gifts with the rack. Very cute idea,” Rizzolo said.

Rizzolo said she likes brighter and more unusual paint colors and patterns so attendees won’t be walking into a room full of chalk-painted items, which is all the rage right now.

They will offer refreshments and will do a drawing for a vintage wooden bin.

For a full list of participating locations in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin visit http://vintageshophop.blogspot.com/p/participating-shops.html. Stores are grouped by regions, with McHenry County area stores listed in Region No. 13.

The full list of participating shops is updated daily until the event at http://vintageshophop.blogspot.com/p/participating-shops.html. Participating Locations in McHenry County include:

Refreshed Furnishings, 175 Route 14, Cary

Simone-Michele Antiques and Vintage, 8503 Ridgefield Road, Crystal Lake

The Urban Farmhouse, 111 Erick St., Suite 123, Crystal Lake

The Domestic Farmhouse, 111 Erick St., Suite 124, Crystal Lake

It’s Flippin’ Vintage, 111 Erick St., Crystal Lake

All American Reclaim, 1095 Pingree Road, No. 106, Crystal Lake

OPN oldpiecesnew, 43 W. Crystal Lake Ave., Suite H, Crystal Lake

Carriage House Antiques and “Good Stuff” 21 E. Crystal Lake Ave., Crystal Lake

Marengo Emporium Inc., 207 S. State St., Marengo

Donna’s Jewelry Box, 209 S. State St., Marengo

Two Sisters with Junk in the Trunk, 6617 S. Grant Highway, Marengo

White River Junction, 1242 N. Green St., McHenry