April 25, 2024
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5 things to do around McHenry County: Last chance for egg hunts

By Northwest Herald staff report
Phillip Hanlon, 7, of Woodstock, hunts for a golden egg while attending the fourth annual Eater Egg Hunt at Bettendorf Castle in Fox River Grove Saturday, April 4, 2015. Over 3,500 eggs were hidden for local children, a balloonist was on site, sweets and snacks were available at the event along with a visit from the Easter Bunny.

Phillip Hanlon, 7, of Woodstock, hunts for a golden egg while attending the fourth annual Eater Egg Hunt at Bettendorf Castle in Fox River Grove Saturday, April 4, 2015. Over 3,500 eggs were hidden for local children, a balloonist was on site, sweets and snacks were available at the event along with a visit from the Easter Bunny. (Sarah Nader for Shaw Local)

1. Easter is quickly approaching, so if you still want to get an egg hunt in, this is your weekend.

The Huntley Park District will host a flashlight egg hunt 8 to 8:45 p.m. Friday and a traditional egg hunt starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, both at Deicke Park, 11419 S. Route 47 in Huntley.

The flashlight hunt is for kids ages 9 to 12 years old and is currently waitlist only. The cost is $9 for park district residents and $12 for non-residents.

Registration is not required for the traditional egg hunt. Times for that event vary by age group – 10:15 a.m. for two- and three-year-olds, 10:30 a.m. for four- and five-year-olds, and 10:45 a.m. for six- to eight-year-olds.

The traditional egg hunt, which includes a photo opportunity with the bunny, is free.

For information, go to huntleyparks.org.

The historic Woodstock Square Easter Eggstravaganza will take place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

The free event, hosted by the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, is for children ages 1 to 12. Families should bring their own baskets.

Easter Egg hunt times will be broken up into age groups with one- to three-year-olds at 11 a.m., four- and five-year-olds at 11:30 a.m., six- to eight-year-olds at 12 p.m. and nine- to 12-year-olds at 12:30 p.m.

McHenry American Legion Post 491 will host an Easter egg hunt with crafts and balloon twisting from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park, 3400 Pearl St. The egg hunts will begin at 2 p.m.

The cost is free and tickets are available at bit.ly/McHenryEggHunt. Military families will receive a special gift.

Also in Huntley will be Willow Creek Huntley’s Easter celebration, which includes a helicopter egg drop between its 4 and 6 p.m. services on Saturday. The church, 38W133 Huntley Road, will also hold services at 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

Kids of all ages are welcome for the event. To RSVP for the event, go to willowhuntley.org/easter or text “HNTeaster” to 25377

Strong Tower Church, 451 Ackman Road in Crystal Lake, also has both a flashlight egg hunt with a bonfire, s’mores, music and games and a traditional egg hunt with an Easter service, coffee bar, basket giveaway, games and professional family photos opportunity planned.

The flashlight egg hunt will take place at 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday while the traditional egg hunt event will be 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

2. The deadline to apply for the Black Box Theatre’s 24-hour Play Competition is Friday.

The competition challenges groups of up to seven people to write, rehearse and perform a play within 24 hours.

Groups will arrive at 6 p.m. April 22 at McHenry County College’s Luecht Auditorium and work through April 23 until performances begin at 7 p.m. that evening. There will be a cash prize for the winning play.

Food and beverages will be provided throughout the 24 hours. There is a $25 entrance fee per group. The competition is open to the public.

Groups can sign up at bit.ly/24HourCompetition until April 15.

For information, contact Jay Geller at jgeller@mchenry.edu or 815-455-8746.

3. Armanetti Wine and Spirits will host a wine and whiskey tasting from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday at Joe’s Place, 19716 E. Grant Highway, Marengo.

The cost, which includes, food, wine and whiskey, is $50 and tickets can be purchased via Eventbrite at bit.ly/WineWhiskeyMarengo. Beer can be purchased for an additional cost.

More than 70 varieties of high-end whiskey, bourbons and wine will be available.

4. A chance to pull out an old a bridesmaid or prom dress from the back of the closet is on tap for this Saturday.

The Bridesmaid Dress Dance Party will take place 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at American Legion Post 491, 1331 N. Riverside Drive in McHenry.

For information, go to facebook.com/McHenryAmericanLegionPost491.

5. Pelican Palooza – a three-week long event designed to promote Fox Lake businesses , local photography and the American white pelican migration – wraps up Friday, though scavenger hunt participants have until 8 a.m. Monday to submit their completed form.

The scavenger hunt encourages participates to find 10 out of the 16 Pelican Partners, which have different-colored Pelican Palooza logos at the front of each storefront.

Completed hunts will be entered for a chance to win a $25 gift card to one of the Pelican Partners, meaning 16 chances to win a prize. All completed forms will receive a pelican cookie from Village Bakery.

Find the form at bit.ly/PelicanScavengerHunt. Questions can be directed to the village’s parks and recreation department at 224-225-1404.

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