5 Things to Do: Party with MCC, swim in the Aquathon and more in McHenry County

Here are five things to do this weekend:

Party in Johnsburg: Pack up lawn chairs and a cooler of drinks for the Party in the Burg event from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday at Rescue Squad Memorial Park in Johnsburg. The adults-only night out will have food trucks and live music by Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos. Tickets are $15 at the door. More information is available on the village’s website, johnsburg.org/community/page/party-burg-2024.

Run a beer mile: Sew Hop’d Brewery is hosting a Beer Mile at 2 p.m. Saturday at 1 Union Special Plaza in Huntley. Contestants will run four quarter-mile laps and drink 12 ounces of beer or nonalcoholic beer before each lap. Spectators can enjoy the event along with live music and food trucks. Tickets are $65 for the individual race and $45 a person for the team relay. Proceeds support the Huntley Historical Society. Awards will go to the top three male and female runners along with “dead freaking last” for men and women. Get information or sign up for the race here: runsignup.com/Race/IL/Huntley/TheHuntleyHistoricalSocietySewHopdBeerMile

Explore the paranormal: Venture into the paranormal side of the Starling Factory in Harvard with psychic medium Loren Purcell at 8 p.m. Saturday. The tour explores the 1800s building, 300 W. Front St., with pendulums, dowsing rods and other techniques to connect with spirits on the other side. Tickets are $75 and include a crystal pendulum for attendees to take home. Get details and buy tickets here: mysticchick.net.

Race in the water: The seventh annual Crystal Lake Aquathon starts at 7 a.m. Sunday at the Three Oaks Recreation Area in Crystal Lake, 5517 Route 14. Run and swim in multiple race distances from sprint to Olympic at the only aquathon in Illinois. Kids and adaptive races also are available. Stick around for the post-race party for an awards ceremony, food and beverages. Stay at the recreation area for a day of fun including swimming, sailboat and paddle board rentals, scuba diving, volleyball and fishing. All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Girls on the Run of Northwest Illinois. Here’s where you can get information and register: raceroster.com/events/2024/83367/crystal-lake-aquathon-2024.

MCC block party: Enjoy a day of family-friendly fun during the McHenry County College block party from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Sew Hop’d Brewery in Huntley, 1 Union Special Plaza. The free-admission event is open to the public and will have live music and food trucks. Shop a farm market stand hosted by MCC’s Center for Agrarian Learning, and play at the kids activity zone hosted by the Kids and College program. MCC alumni will receive a free gift. Find more information on the event is available at the college’s website, mchenry.edu/blockparty.

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.