The Local Scene: Hop into spring with egg hunts and bunny trails in McHenry County

Here are five things to do this weekend:

1 Hunt for eggs at a castle: The Bettendorf Castle in Fox River Grove is hosting an egg hunt Saturday on the castle grounds. Don’t forget to bring your own basket to hunt for 15,000 eggs around the castle. Eggs will hold prizes like candy, toys and tickets for larger prizes. Meet with the Easter Bunny, princess characters and a balloon twister. The early hunt starts at 10 a.m., while a 2 p.m. session is sold out. Tickets are $35 for children and $20 for adults. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit bettendorfcastle.com.

2 Battle of the Bands winner performs: Battle of the Bands 2023 winner JJ Smith will be returning to the Raue Center in Crystal Lake at 7 p.m. Saturday for a live performance. The event will be filled with songs by Smith that range from soft melodies to powerful rock songs that are reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Jeff Buckley. Smith will perform along with Chicago artist Jake Racina, whose jazz-infused songs are storydriven and unique. Tickets are $20. For more details and to purchase tickets, visit rauecenter.org.

3 Spring on in to Algonquin Commons: The Algonquin Commons shopping mall will host a spring kid-friendly event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Check in for this free event at the guest services patio near Tilly’s to receive a treasure hunt map. Explore around the mall and in the stores to find prizes. Meet with Big Blue Pup and Bunny, take home some balloon shapes and receive dining discounts. For more information, visit shopatalgonquincommons.com/events-promotions.

4 Hop along the bunny trail: Hop over to the Lake in the Hills Bunny Trail event from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Lake in the Hills Village Hall. Follow the bunny tracks around Village Hall and enjoy riddles and jokes along the way to find the Easter Bunny. Bring baskets to collect eggs along the path given out by community partners. Bring your dog at noon for photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny. Pre-registration is free for residents and $2 for non-residents. Prices at the door will be $2 per resident and $5 per non-resident. For more details and to register, visit bit.ly/LITHbunnytrail.

5 Hunt around Huntley for eggs: The Huntley Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the Easter Egg Scavenger “Hunt”ley from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. Check into the Huntley Area Chamber office Friday morning to receive the first clue in the scavenger hunt adventure. Participants will hunt for eggs, more clues and prizes along Route 47 while discovering local businesses. Candy giveaways and a photo opportunity with the Easter Bunny will also be at the event. There will be two different routes for newcomers and an updated route for returning families. Registration is $5. For more information and to register, visit huntleychamber.org.

Would you like your event highlighted 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/.