5 things to do in McHenry County: Candlelight hikes, ‘The Nutcracker’ on stage, hot cocoa crawl and Santa Parade

1. A chance to hike or ski by candlelight will be offered Friday and Saturday evening at Coral Woods Conservation Area, 7400 Somerset Drive southeast of Marengo.

This is a free, drop-in program with no registration required. The program runs 5 to 9 p.m. each evening.

Skiers of every experience level and age are welcome, but they must bring their own equipment. Trails will be groomed for skiing if there is 4 inches or more of snow.

If there’s not enough snow, leave the skis at home and enjoy a candlelight hike. Pets are not allowed.

To check for updates or cancellations, go to MCCDistrict.org.

2. Chances to watch “The Nutcracker” will be offered this weekend in both Crystal Lake and Woodstock.

Engage Dance Academy presents the holiday classic at 1 and 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Raue Center for the Arts, 26 N. Williams St. in Crystal Lake.

Tickets run $18 to $30, and RaueNow members can save up to 30% on two of their tickets. A $3 a ticket processing fee and a $6 an order facility fee also will be charged.

For information, go to rauecenter.org.

The Woodstock Opera House, 121 Van Buren St., will offer its final performances of “The Nutcracker,” performed by the Judith Svalander School of Ballet, for the season this weekend.

Shows will start at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Friday shows cost $20 a ticket and Saturdays and Sundays run $25 per ticket.

For information, go to woodstockoperahouse.com.

3. A Wreaths Across America ceremony will be held at noon Saturday at the Huntley Cemetery on Dean Street, south of Martin Drive.

At the end of the ceremony, wreaths will be placed on the graves of veterans at both Huntley and St. Mary cemeteries as a way to remember and honor those who served.

For information, go to wreathsacrossamerica.org.

4. The village of Fox River Grove’s Santa Parade will step off at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Hunter’s Farm subdivision and concludes at the Fox River Grove Fire Protection District, 411 Algonquin Road.

For a map of the parade route, go to bit.ly/FRGSantaParade2022.

5. Custom-carved, holiday movie-themed ice sculptures will be on display on the sidewalks of the downtown Huntley Square for the inaugural Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl on Saturday.

The Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce will host the event from noon to 5 p.m.

People can step inside to warm up and shop or eat at sponsoring businesses, according to the Chamber.

There is no cost to view the ice sculptures, but all Cocoa Crawl participants must have an official 2022 Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl mug to participate.

S’mores kits and travel mugs are available for $15 at the Century 21 New Heritage office, 11802 E. Main St. If bought separately, the mugs cost $12 and the s’mores kits cost $5.

Mugs and s’mores kits are available for online preorder.

For information, go to huntleychamber.org.

• Would you like your event featured in this weekly feature? The first step is submitting your events to the Northwest Herald’s community calendar at shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/local-events/ where they are then considered for inclusion in this feature.