5 things to do in McHenry County: Pools closing as summer ends, Lake in the Hills’ Summer Sunset Fest

1. Celebrate the end of summer with the Summer Sunset Festival in Lake in the Hills.

The three-day event, featuring a carnival, activities, food, live music and fireworks, will take place 3 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Sunday at Sunset Park, 5200 Miller Road. Admission is free.

The parade – featuring bands, martial arts groups, dance groups, colorful floats and clowns – will step off at 10 a.m. Saturday outside the Lake in the Hills public works facility, 9010 Haligus Road, traveling north on Haligus Road before turning right onto Miller Road and ending at the Sunset Park parking lot.

Fireworks will cap the festivities at 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Over the course of the three-day festival, bands will perform at the Main Stage, including The Early Byrds at 5:30 p.m. Friday, That’s What She Said at 7:30 p.m. Friday, the Blooze Brothers at 4 p.m. Saturday, The Ron Burgundy’s at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Bella Cain at 9 p.m. Saturday, Heartache Tonight at 3 p.m. Sunday, Gen Fuze at 5:30 p.m. and HiFi Superstar at 8 p.m. Sunday.

Among the other entertainment offered is a classic and custom car show from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, a wine tasting tent 6 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, the Doggie Derby Dash at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the Rec2U Kids’ Zone at 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, a craft fair and business expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, a bags tournament from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, and the Fireworks 5K at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Windy City Amusements Carnival is open 3 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and noon to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Unlimited ride wristbands can be bought for $35 from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, $30 from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, $35 from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday and $30 from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Individual ride tickets cost $1 each or 44 for $40.

For information, go to summersunsetfest.com.

2. The Sunburst Bay Aquatic Center in Cary will wrap up its first season this holiday weekend.

The Cary Park District is marking the occasion by collecting photos taken by visitors enjoying their time this summer at the pool, be it during a swim lesson, fitness class, birthday party, open swim or swim team practice.

Photos will be included in this video celebrating the first season Sunburst Bay was open, the Cary Park District said in a Facebook post.

Photos should be sent to khughes@cayrpark.com by Monday. The video will appear on the Cary Park District Facebook page and YouTube channel by the end of that week.

The Sunburst Bay Aquatic Center will be open noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and noon to 4 p.m. Monday.

Algonquin’s Lions Armstrong Memorial Pool, the beach at Crystal Lake’s Three Oaks Recreation Area and Crystal Lake Park District’s Main Beach also wrap up their summer seasons this holiday weekend.

The Algonquin pool will be open noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The daily admission fee is $5 and advanced daily passes can be bought using a credit card at rec.algonquin.org.

The Three Oaks Recreation Area beach will be open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Admission is free for Crystal Lake residents with an ID. Up to five nonresidents accompanied by a Crystal Lake resident can be admitted for $1. Each additional guest is $5.

Admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for nonresidents not accompanied by a resident is $10 for those 16 to 61 years old, $6 for those 4 to 15 years old or 62 and older, and free for those 3 and younger. After 4 p.m., admission decreases by half.

Main Beach will be open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The cost for Crystal Lake Park District residents is $1 for those 4 to 59 years old and free for those 60 and older. For nonresidents, the cost is $9 for children 4 to 15 years old, $12 for those 16 to 59 years old, and $9 for those 60 and older. Children younger than 3 are admitted free for residents and nonresidents.

Starting at 5 p.m., all residents are admitted free and admission is half off for nonresidents.

3. Bidding starts Friday for the second annual “Art of the Past: Discovering History through McHenry County Artists,” which supports the McHenry County Historical Society.

This year’s juried art show is titled “This Place Matters: Historic Structures and Landscapes of McHenry County,” according to a news release. Artists were invited to paint or draw historically significant buildings, structures and landscapes in McHenry County.

The historical society “hopes this art show will foster an appreciation for history and create an awareness to preserve these historic structures for future generations,” according to the release.

The auction will run through Oct. 2. Bids can be placed at bit.ly/McHenryCountyHistoryAuction.

Half the proceeds from the sale of each piece of artwork will be paid to the artist, with the remaining half benefiting the historical society, a nonprofit.

4. Huntley will host its rescheduled July 4 fireworks at dusk Saturday at the Deicke and Warrington parks.

5. The final Sundays On The Square concert will take place Sunday afternoon in Woodstock.

It will feature Hot Lagarto, which combines an eclectic mix of Latin jazz and African American urban rhythms, according to Off Square Music, which hosts the concerts in conjunction with the Woodstock Opera House.

The free concert will take place 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday on the historic Woodstock Square.

For information, go to offsquaremusic.org.

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