5 things to do in McHenry County: Vintage Shop Hop, Festival of the Sugar Maples, kids carnival

1. Vintage Shop Hop: Businesses all over McHenry County and beyond will participate Friday and Saturday in a self-guided road trip of vintage and boutique shopping.

Almost 400 vintage and antique stores, along with women’s boutiques and home decor shops in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, will offer a variety of promotions – such as discounts, demonstrations, swag bags, live music, food trucks, artists on-site, prize drawings, treats, punch card promotions or parking lot sales – as part of the event.

Participating businesses in McHenry County are located in Algonquin, Cary, Crystal Lake, Harvard, Marengo, McHenry, Richmond, Spring Grove and Woodstock. A full map can be found at bit.ly/VSHMarch2023Map.

For information, go to facebook.com/VintageShopHopEvent.

2. Kids Carnival: Good News Church is hosting a free event for kids 6 to 8 p.m. Friday with games, balloon animals, face painting and prizes.

It will be at the church, located at 110 S. Johnson St. in Woodstock, on the second floor of the Woodstock Square Mall.

For information, go to goodnewswoodstock.org/kids-carnival-2023.

3. Bags, Bourbon and Bingo: This fundraiser for the Child Advocacy Center of McHenry County features bingo with “luxurious prizes” with bourbon drinks each round and designer bags as prizes.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Friday at Hickory Hall, 406 W. Woodstock St. in Crystal Lake, with bingo starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $60 and include six rounds of bingo, one drink ticket and passed hors d’oeuvres. Additional food is available for purchase.

For information, go to mchenrycac.org.

4. “Juliet and Romeo”: This adaption of William Shakespeare’s tragedy flips the script and the gender power structure of the original play, telling the story of Juliet Montague and her tragic romance with Romeo Capulet.

The play opens Friday with performances at 7 p.m. Friday, Saturday and then March 10, 11, 17 and 18 and 2 p.m. March 5, 12 and 19 at the Black Box Theatre at McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14 in Crystal Lake.

Tickets are $10 for students, MCC employees, seniors, veterans and MCC alumni, and $15 for the public.

For information, go to mchenry.edu/blackbox/index.html.

5. Festival of the Sugar Maples: The longstanding event provides visitors the opportunity to learn the history of maple sugaring and the evolution of the sap collection process.

The festival starts Saturday, running through Monday, and then again next weekend at Coral Woods Conservation Area, 7400 Somerset Drive in Marengo.

Tours last about an hour and involve a half-mile hike through a potentially snowy woodland trail. Participants should dress for the weather, and pets are not allowed.

Maple syrup from Wisconsin and Vermont, maple flavored candies, maple syrup straws and fresh maple cookies from Kay and Jo’s Bakery in Marengo will be available to buy at the sales tent. For those looking to try tapping their own maple tree, pick up a spile with instructions on how to make syrup.

To register for a free slot, go to mccdistrict.org. Registration is required.

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