McHenry County towns, organizations not worried about weather affecting July 4 plans

Fireworks may not be the only thing raining down Monday in McHenry County.

Weather forecasts locally show Independence Day could have some morning showers that may turn into thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service.

While many municipalities in McHenry County will host their Fourth of July celebrations throughout the weekend, a handful are planning festivities on the day itself. Those include parades, gatherings and fireworks shows.

Below is a list of those, as well as contingency plans if weather causes an issue:

• Huntley: The village’s annual Party in the Park is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at Deicke Park, with fireworks slated to begin about 9:30 p.m.

If weather becomes an issue, the village will resort to delays first or a change in scheduling, special events manager Barb Read said. Residents can find the most recent updates on the village’s website at huntley.il.us, on Facebook at facebook.com/HuntleyIllinois and on the village’s gateway sign along Route 47.

If the events have to be postponed, the village set Sept. 3 as its backup day for festivities.

“It’s a lot of setup, so if we can do it, we’ll do it,” Read said. “Safety is the first concern.”

• Lakemoor: The village’s parade is set to start at 10:30 a.m. Monday in the Village Hall parking lot.

As of right now, the village is “pushing forward” with its plans, administrative assistant and event coordinator Jerilyn Leonard said. So far, there has been no discussion about changing plans.

“Rain or shine, we’re going to be out there,” she said.

If something were to change, residents can find information on the village’s website at lakemoor.net and the Friends of Lakemoor Facebook page, she said.

• Marengo: The Marengo Union Chamber of Commerce is hosting a glow parade that starts at 8 p.m. at Marengo Community Middle School.

The plan is for the parade to be made up of vehicles and floats, with everyone staying in their cars, Executive Director Colleen Helfers said. Because of that, she isn’t worried rain will be a factor in the plans.

“I don’t feel it’s going to dampen our spirits,” Helfers said.

• Spring Grove: The Spring Grove 4th of July organization is holding its Independence Day Street Fest on Sunday, while Monday will feature a parade at noon followed by fireworks at dusk at Thelen Park.

The parade will take place in rain or shine, President Kelly Popelka said in an email Friday.

Fireworks could be a different story, but it will be up to the company running the fireworks show on whether the fireworks can move forward, Popelka said. As it stands, organizers do not have a backup date if the fireworks are canceled.

Any updates can be found on the organization’s website at sg4thofjuly.com.

• Woodstock: The city’s fireworks show will be at dusk Monday at Emricson Park.

There has been no discussion about postponing or changing the plans, executive assistant Jane Howie said. If plans are called off, it would come at the discretion of the Woodstock Fire/Rescue District.

“We haven’t had any concerns about it,” she said. “We should be OK.”

If plans are changed, the festivities would be delayed first before being canceled or postponed, Howie said. If events are canceled, it is not yet known if they will be rescheduled.

Updates can be found on the city’s social media pages, including Facebook and Instagram, and the city’s website at woodstockil.gov, Howie said.