5 things to do in McHenry County: Shopping, kites and a charity run

Runners take off from the starting line during Bob Blazier Run for the Arts in Crystal Lake, on Sunday, May 5, 2013. The charity event brought out 452 participants with the proceeds going to support the Raue Center for the Arts in downtown Crystal Lake.

1. Looking for a Mother’s Day gift?

Two markets – one in Crystal Lake and another in McHenry – are offering opportunities to shop ahead of the holiday.

The Mother’s Day Spring Market at Quarry Cable Park and Grille, 5517 Northwest Highway in Crystal Lake, will take place 4 to 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The event will feature more than 25 vendors from the Chicago area and Friday night will include live music by Mark Damanico from 5 to 8 p.m. The Lakeside and Loft Bar will be open and the Quarry Grill will be serving light bites.

The cost is $2 a person to enter. Children 18 and younger are free.

For information, go to thequarrycablepark.com.

Kit and Caboodle Market is hosting its third makers market: Crafts + Cocktails will feature more than 20 local crafters and two food trucks.

The market, which will prepare shoppers for the spring season, Mother’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, will run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at Smith’s Central Wedding and Event Venue, 3315 Pearl St. in McHenry.

A fully stocked cash bar will be open and will feature the show’s signature cocktail, vodka lavender lemonade made by LALavender Co.

This is a free, family-friendly event. A children’s craft table will be set up with craft kits available to buy.

For information, go to www.kitandcaboodlemarket.com

2. Celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with a trip to Glacial Park or Volo Bog this weekend.

Activity stations and bird passports will be available 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday at the Lost Valley Visitor Center in Glacial Park, 6705 Route 31, Ringwood. Another event will follow noon to 4 p.m. the same day at Volo Bog State Natural Area between Volo and Fox Lake.

Visitors can get their passports stamped as they participate in over a dozen games and activities. The stamps can be turned into prizes, including an Audubon plush bird that sings its song when squeezed.

Door prizes include binoculars and photo prints.

The event is free and registration is not required. All ages are welcome, but children ages 13 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

The Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, McHenry County Audubon and the McHenry County Conservation District are hosting the events.

3. The Huntley Kite Fest will take place Sunday at Betsey Warrington Park with choreographed musical routines by professional kite flyers.

The event, which will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park’s soccer fields, 12209 Main St., also will feature Al Sparling flying his gigantic kites, an opportunity for individuals and families to fly their own kites, food vendors and fun for the whole family.

Admission is free.

For information, go to huntley.il.us.

4. The 25th Annual Bob Blazier Run For The Arts will raise money for Crystal Lake’s Raue Center for the Arts this Sunday.

While online registration for the event closed Tuesday, registration can still be completed by calling 815-356-9010, Ext. 14, or on site the day of the event.

On-site registration begins at 7 a.m. Sunday at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St. The cost is $40 for the 5K run/walk and $30 for the one-mile fun run/walk.

The 5K begins at 8 a.m. followed by the one-mile run at 8:10 a.m. A kids 50-yard dash will be held at 8:45 a.m. and an awards ceremony onstage under the Raue marquee is planned for 9 a.m.

For information, go to bit.ly/BobBlazierRun2022.

5. The Woodstock Community Choir and the Crystal Lake Community Band are both hosting spring concerts this Sunday.

The Woodstock Community Choir, under the direction of Cassandra Vohs-Demann, will perform its spring concert, “Hope,” starting at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St.

Donations are welcome.

The Crystal Lake Community Band will hold its annual Spring Pops Concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 800 S. Route 31 in Crystal Lake.

The concert will include a variety of musical styles, including light classical, marches, jazz selections and Broadway musicals numbers. The group’s big band also will perform three jazz standards.

Tickets are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors, students and military members; and $8 a person for groups of eight or more. To buy tickets, go to clcb.org or call 815-679-BAND (2263).

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