Despite rain, people enjoy the Crystal Lake’s annual Independence Day Parade on Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Crystal Lake. This year’s parade feature close to 100 units.

More than 45 children and their parents lined up about noon Saturday for a long-standing tradition during The Dole’s annual Lakeside Festival in Crystal Lake – the Decorated Kids Bike Parade. The bikes sport streamers, flags, bunting and all things red, white and blue. They are given a police escort from the corner of Lake and Dole avenues and Leonard Parkway to the festival grounds about 2 blocks away. Every child who participates gets a coupon for a free ice cream at one of three participating restaurants, and parents get a wristband allowing them free access to the festival. Shari Chakoian, president of the Crystal Lake Women of Today club, said the local chapter has sponsored the event for at least 40 years, and that she has volunteered for each of the years. While the parents like the wristband and the children a free ice cream, it’s probably the fun of riding in a parade that keeps families coming back every year.

People enjoy the Lakeside Festival in Friday, July 5, 2024, in Crystal Lake.

Photographers from Shaw Media publications throughout northern Illinois were honored at the Illinois Press Association awards.

Outtakes from recent assignments from the Northwest Herald for June 23, 2024.

Summer's officially underway at McHenry County beaches, pools, lakes and splash pads.

People enjoy the music of the Being Bilingual Rocks (BBR) Band during the Crystal Lake Park District and Public Library's Summer Singalong for Kids on Friday, June 21, 2024, at Crystal Lake's Main Beach.

In honor of Father's Day, we offer some of our favorite photos of fathers and sons and fathers and daughters taken over the last year.

People enjoy McHenry County’s 2nd Annual Juneteenth Festival at the Woodstock Square on Saturday, June 15, 2024.

People learn about the McHenry County Regional Training Center in Cary on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, during an open house.

McHenry County Department of Health staff and volunteers from the McHenry County Medical Reserve Corp take part in the Operation Dropbox Exercise on Tuesday , June 11, 2024, at the McHenry County Division of Transportation near Woodstock. The training exercise simulates the process of unloading and distributing medical counter-measures during emergencies along with helping to sort and distribute the donated items to veterans and their families in the county.

The Crystal Lake Central baseball team celebrates their 2024 Class 3A State Baseball Championship on Sunday, June 9, 2024, with their fans at Crystal Lake Central High School.

Scenes from the 2024 Woodstock PrideFest Parade on Sunday, June 9, 2024, around the historic Woodstock Square.

Crystal Lake Central comes back to beat Lemont 3-2 for the Class 3A championship.

The Crystal Lake Central baseball team met Morris Friday at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet to decide who advances to the IHSA Class 3A state championship game.