5 things to do in McHenry County: Holiday fun begins with Turkey Testicle Festival, ‘A Christmas Carol’ and McHenry’s Holiday Walk

1. Meet Elizabeth Scrooge and journey to 1840s London in Theatre 121′s retelling of “A Christmas Carol,” which kicks off Friday and runs through Dec. 4 at the Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St.

Shows will be at 7:30 p.m. Fridays except for Nov. 25 and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays with additional performances at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 and Dec. 4; 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25; and 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27.

Tickets for adults cost $26 for A seats and $20 for B seats; tickets for students and seniors cost $24 for A seats and $18 for B seats.

For information, go to woodstockoperahouse.com.

2. Explore the Volo Bog with a naturalist 10 a.m. to noon Friday along the state natural area’s Tamarack View Trail.

Participants should dress for the weather and bring binoculars if they have them. Meet outside the Visitor Center, 28478 West Brandenburg Road, under the oak tree.

For information, call 815-344-1294 or email dnr.volobog@illinois.gov.

3. Visit with Santa at the Veterans Park gazebo before he flips the Christmas lights on during the downtown McHenry Holiday Walk at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Veterans Park, 3400 Pearl St., will host Santa from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday as well as a Home Depot Kids Build-It Workshop and a bounce house sponsored by Ed’s Rentals. Kids games and craft activities under the pavilion will be provided by The Chapel and the McHenry High School National Honor Society.

Santa will flip the switch on thousands of twinkling lights in the park and around the downtown streets at 5 p.m.

From 4 to 7 p.m., live mannequins recreate favorite holiday scenes in downtown store windows with Living Windows. About a mile separates the two farthest locations and can be walked, however a trolley with four stops will traverse the downtown area.

The Polar Express Pub Crawl – wear your pajamas – will run from 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets will offer access to drink specials and a chance to win one of 15 raffle items. The cost is $20.

Saturday also kicks off the Festival of Trees, which runs through Dec. 30 at the McHenry Recreation Center, 3636 Municipal Drive. The trees will be decorated by local businesses and civic organizations, and visitors can vote for their favorite by dropping off a nonperishable food item or toiletries under their favorite tree. All items will be donated to Veterans Path to Hope.

For information, go to mchenrychamber.com/downtown-holiday-walk.

4. Woodstock Pride will host a Transgender Day of Remembrance Gathering 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Stage Left Cafe at the Woodstock Opera House, 125 W. Van Buren St.

All attendees will have the opportunity to share their experiences and speak at the event. Food will be provided.

For information, go to bit.ly/WoodstockTransgenderRemembrance.

5. The Turkey Testicle Festival returns Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, for its 40th year, at Parkside Pub, 11721 Main St. in Huntley.

From 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, attendees will be able to enjoy live music while snacking on turkey testicles as a pre-Thanksgiving turkey appetizer.

The bands include Voyage from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., 7th Heaven from 2 to 4:30 p.m., Modern Day Romeos from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and Bad Medicine, a Bon Jovi tribute band, from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m.

VIP Passes – at cost of $75 – include no waiting to enter plus a unisex, long-sleeved T-shirt, an event swag bag and access to a dedicated Platinum Pass area with its own portable bathrooms and the ability to meet the bands.

A jump-the-line fast pass is $30 and general admission at the door is $20.

Persons must be age 21 years or older to attend.

Information on how to buy tickets in advance can be found on the restaurant’s website, parksidepub.com/ttf. Information about the event can be found on Parkside Pub’s Facebook page.

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