Huntley announces lineup for new Shops on Main retail incubator

Huntley has announced which businesses will be in the first round of the village’s new Shops on Main retail incubator.

The setup will include six outside shops and four inside the Hackett House near the intersection of Main Street and Route 47 in downtown Huntley. Plans originally had three store spaces inside and six outside.

Shops on Main is scheduled to have a grand opening Nov. 1 and stay open through Dec. 20 for the holiday shopping season and winter market. The plan is for the stores to open back up in May, with next year’s season running through December 2026.

The businesses chosen to participate are:

• Bare Rags, selling women’s apparel
• chARM candy collection, selling children’s accessories
• DD Creations Studio, selling personalized products
• Pots and Pies, selling baked sweet and savory goods
• Serenity Soul Corporation, selling specialty food accompaniments and kitchenware
• Wild In Ink, selling lifestyle and gifts
• Sew Mine, selling sewing and craft supplies
• Huntley Art Hub Gallery, selling jewelry and art
• CP Boutique, selling women’s clothing and accessories
• The Find - Vintage + Thrift, selling curated secondhand clothing and original graphic tees, including menswear

“We are incredibly excited to welcome this talented group of vendors to the heart of our downtown,” Village President Tim Hoeft said in a village news release. “We are proud to launch the Shops on Main project as a way to support entrepreneurs and expand the retail landscape of our vibrant downtown. This addition will provide new shopping experiences for residents and visitors and help draw additional attention to the many existing businesses in Huntley. We look forward to a successful inaugural season.”

Village officials said the vendors range from “emerging entrepreneurs to seasoned retailers, with backgrounds that span online channels, vendor markets, home-based operations and traditional retail settings.”

Huntley officials received a $975,000 grant facilitated by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood for the project; Underwood represented much of McHenry County before redistricting following the 2020 census. The grant dollars have to be spent by the end of the year.

Huntley officials signed off on contracts for the work in April and have long hoped to have the Shops on Main open in time for the holiday season this year. In June, the village announced it was seeking businesses for the Shops on Main program.

Huntley will become the third McHenry County municipality to have incubator shops. McHenry has the Riverwalk Shoppes and Woodstock had incubator spaces inside the Old Courthouse. Woodstock’s program is not currently active but the city hasn’t completely closed the door on it.