5 Things to Do: Kick off the holiday season in McHenry, and learn about chocolate in Crystal Lake

Here are five things to do this weekend:

Art of Chocolate: Learn about all things chocolate at the Crystal Lake Park District’s The Art of Chocolate at 6 p.m. Friday at the Colonel Palmer House, located at 660 E. Terra Cotta Ave. Learn recipes of classics such as chocolate chip cookies and fudge cake. The program will go over the history and origins of the cocoa bean, from its earliest use by the ancient Olmecs to how it came to be used in modern-day recipes such as truffles and malts. Registrations is $20 for Crystal Lake residents and $26 for nonresidents. Check out more information and register here: facebook.com/CrystalLakeParkDistrict.

Holiday Walk: Stroll through the streets of downtown McHenry for this year’s Holiday Walk from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Memorial Park, located at 3400 Pearl St. View the festive outdoor decorations while cozying up in a horse-drawn sleigh ride, meeting Santa under the gazebo and listening to the McHenry High School Vocal Warriors sing carols. Join the city in flipping the switch of twinkling lights around the streets, and enjoy plenty of games and craft activities for kids. Come back Sunday for the Toys for Tots parade at 1 p.m. Find more details about McHenry’s Holiday Walk here: Mchenrychamber.com/downtown-holiday-walk.

[ Your guide to holiday 2024 in McHenry County: Festivals and other events ]

Polar pub crawl: All aboard for the Polar Express Pub Crawl from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown McHenry. Wear your pajamas, and start the journey by picking up a “train ticket” at the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce office, 1307 N. Green St. The crawl will take participants through locations for drink specials, entertainment and raffle prizes. A trolley take attendees to participating locations. Tickets are $20. Check out more details and buy tickets here: mchenrychamber.com/polar-express-pub-crawl.

Holiday Bazaar: Shop for handcrafted gifts at the annual Holy Apostles Ladies Organization Holiday Bazaar on Saturday and Sunday at the Church of Holy Apostles Sherry Center, 5211 Bull Valley Road in McHenry. The vendor fair will have baked goods, crafts and jewelry, all created by local artisans. Stop by Saturday for the cookie walk that will include homemade cookies, jams, pies and more. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Find more information here: facebook.com/thechurchofholyapostles.

Clean up the woods: The Sterne’s Woods Volunteer Work Day will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday at the preserve, located at 5617 Hillside Road, Crystal Lake. Cut and stack brush to keep the fen healthy and prevent the need for controlled burns. Volunteers will learn about restoration ecology and how to remove invasive species such as honeysuckle and buckthorn that are crowding out native species. Bring a water bottle and work gloves. The park district provides loppers and bow saws. More information can be found here: bit.ly/SternesWoodsVolunteer.

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