April 26, 2024
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5 cool things to do around McHenry County

By BEST OF THE FOX
Dee Alberts, of Lake Villa, Ken Kozin, of Roselle, Krista and Linas Paul, of Round Lake, talk and drink wine at Hannah’s Home Accents during the Village of Antioch’s Winter Wine Walk on Jan. 18, 2014.

Dee Alberts of Lake Villa, Ken Kozin of Roselle, and Krista and Linas Paul of Round Lake talk and drink wine at Hannah’s Home Accents during the village of Antioch’s Winter Wine Walk in January 2014. (Candace H. Johnson for Shaw Local)

1. McHenry County venues offer plenty of chances to laugh out loud this week, including a comedy night at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at Spirit Water Taproom, 3300 Three Oaks Road, Cary.

Funnier By The Lake Comedy will bring its long-standing entertainment to Spirit Water in Cary with live stand-up comedians each month.

The shows are free to attend, although tipping the comedians is encouraged.

For information, go to bit.ly/SpiritWaterComedy.

2. Scorched Earth Brewing Company in Algonquin will host Yoga and a Beer this Saturday, Jan. 22.

The yoga class takes place from 11 a.m. to noon at the brewery, 203 Berg St.

Attendees, who should bring their own mat, can attend the class and then grab a pint of their favorite Scorched Earth beer.

Reservations are encouraged, and can be made by emailing info@scorchedearthbrewing.com.

3. The inaugural Polar Fest in Huntley this Saturday will feature children’s games, a s’more station, crafts, local vendors, an ice sculpture, horse-drawn trolley rides and dog-sled demonstrations.

The event, hosted by the Huntley Park District, will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the REC Center, 12015 Mill St. Entry is free, but some activities cost money.

The world-class ice sculpture will be on site from 1 to 2:30 p.m., the horse-drawn trolley rides will be provided by Royal Carriage from 1 to 3:30 p.m., and Free Spirit Siberian Rescue dog-sled demo shows will take place at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m.

MJ’s Coffee Bar Truck will serve up hot drinks and hot dogs. A professional photographer will be available with packages starting at $15.

Parking will be available in the main REC Center lot.

For information, go to bit.ly/3KyXOv0.

4. Downtown Antioch’s Winter Wine Walk is set for Saturday afternoon.

The walk features more than 30 wines and a tour of some of downtown Antioch’s businesses. Each participant receives a commemorative wine glass, shopping tote and a bottle of wine.

The event runs from noon to 4 p.m., and costs $45.

Tickets can be bought online at bit.ly/AntiochParks or at the Antioch Parks Office, 806 Holbek Drive.

5. A volunteer workday at Sterne’s Woods and Fen is set for Sunday morning.

Volunteers can drop by from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday at Sterne’s outdoor pavilion, 5617 Hillside Drive, Crystal Lake.

The group, which meets monthly, is very close to having the old horse track cleared of brush, organizers said. Because the work includes burning brush piles, volunteers shouldn’t wear anything nice or made of synthetic fabrics. The group also recommends bringing a water bottle and work gloves.

The Crystal Lake Park District will supply loppers and bow saws, and snacks will be provided to share.

All volunteers will need to sign in, and those who are unvaccinated will need to wear a mask if not social distancing.

To receive monthly workday reminders, email volunteer-site steward Brice Alt at bricemaieralt@hotmail.com. The next two Sunday work dates are Feb. 27 and March 27.

Questions can be directed to 847-395-2160.

Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Northwest Herald’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/local-events where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.