With a number of ceremonies, parades and speakers planned throughout McHenry County on Memorial Day, here is what your municipality will be doing to celebrate the occasion and remember the fallen:
CARY: The Cary-Grove AMVETS Post 245 is hosting a Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony starting at 10 a.m. at the Holy Cross Lutheran Church, near First Street and Three Oaks Road.
After the parade, there will be a ceremony at Cary Veterans Park at Route 14 at Crystal Street.
The Veterans Network Committee of Northern Illinois will host its Field of the Fallen weekend-long ceremony in Cary too. The ceremony will start at 6 p.m. on Friday and go until 5 p.m. on Monday. It will be held along Three Oaks Road next to the Aldi, and is the 11th one held.
There will be 350 flags placed in the field, each bearing a name, date of death and age. Each flag will represent one of the 350 soldiers from Illinois who have died dating back to the Gulf conflict. Names will be read each hour.
CRYSTAL LAKE: American Legion William Chandler Peterson Post 171 is hosting its Memorial Day parade starting at 11 a.m. on Monday at Crystal Lake Central High School at 45 W. Franklin St..
The parade will wrap through downtown and end around noon at Union Cemetery. A ceremony will be held with Marine Col. Patty Klop as its keynote speaker.
FOX LAKE: On Monday, the American Legion Post 703 in Fox Lake are hosting a Memorial Day event starting at 11 a.m. It will be held at Fox Lake’s Train Station on Grand Avenue. There will also be a second ceremony and pasta lunch to follow the event.
FOX RIVER GROVE: A parade will be held in Fox River Grove starting at 8:15 a.m. The parade route will start at Algonquin Road School and continue down Algonquin Road to South River Road.
HUNTLEY: Starting at 11 a.m. on Monday at the Municipal Complex on Main Street, the annual Huntley parade will travel west on Main Street to Woodstock Street, turn right to go north, and disperse from there.
At the end, there will be speakers to honor the soldiers who lost their lives in combat.
Those wishing to attend are asked to go to the Village Hall’s parking lot at 10:30 a.m. There will be no candy thrown, nor any campaigning.
LAKE IN THE HILLS: The Lake in the Hills American Legion Post 1231 will host its Memorial Day Pig Roast on Monday, starting at 11 a.m. and going until 5 p.m. The event will include outdoor karaoke, bags tournament, and a remembrance ceremony.
As part of the day, the village will also have a Veterans Memorial at Village Hall to offer a quiet place to reflect and remember fallen soldiers. It is open every day of the year and located behind the Village Hall at 600 Harvest Gate.
RICHMOND: Starting at 10 a.m., and going until 2 p.m. at Stevens Park at 10314 N. Main St., in Richmond, people are invited to attend the village’s Memorial Day event.
SPRING GROVE: A ceremony is taking place from 9 to 10 a.m. on Monday at Horse Fair Park, at 8105 Blivin Street. After that, attendees are invited for free coffee and donuts, courtesy of the Spring Grove Fire Protection District.
As part of the ceremony, everyone in the United States is asked to pause at 3 p.m. for one minute in an act of national unity.
WOODSTOCK: Everyone is invited to the Woodstock Square for the annual Woodstock Memorial Day Parade parade to honor those who have fallen on Monday. The ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. and the parade will begin shortly after at 11 a.m.
The parade begins on Dean Street and travels through the Square, exiting on Jackson Street. It will continue West on Jackson, turning North on Oakland Street then East on Judd Street.
Throughout the Square, storefronts will display military uniforms and mementos from local families.