Holiday things to do in McHenry County: Christmas parades and tree lightings

Here are five things to do this weekend:

Tree lighting: Light up Fox River Grove‘s Christmas tree at 5:45 p.m. Friday at Village Hall, 305 Illinois St. Meet Santa and Mrs. Claus for photos, listen to carolers, shop from local vendors and touch a truck at the police department parking lot. Enjoy trackless train rides, crafts and games for the whole family. Find more information about Fox River Grove’s Christmas tree lighting here: facebook.com/frgliving.

Christmas parade: Festivities for the Marengo Christmas parade hosted by the Marengo Fire and Rescue Districts start at 4 p.m. Saturday at the fire station, 120 E. Prairie St. Enjoy a fire pit, food trucks, music and a live nativity scene before the parade. The “Your Favorite Christmas Movie”-themed parade kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Prospect and Washington streets and ends at the fire station. Decorate cookies, enjoy hot chocolate, watch the tree lighting and meet with Santa at the fire station. Check out more details about the Marengo Christmas parade here: Facebook.com/MarengoFireRescue.

Merry and Bright: Get in the holiday spirit at the Merry and Bright event in Spring Grove from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Horse Fair Park, located at 8105 Blivin St. The free-admission event will have visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, crafts, hot drinks, cookies, hay rides and a tree lighting. Organizers ask attendees to bring a nonperishable food item or toiletry item for the local food pantry. More about Spring Grove’s Merry and Bright event can be found here: Springgrovevillage.com/merry-and-bright-in-spring-grove-2.

Santa and animals: Meet Santa and his herd at the Hooved Animal Humane Society from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the shelter located at 10804 McConnell Road, Woodstock. Take photos with Santa and his animals, write letters to Santa and enjoy arts and crafts. Children can feed Santa’s herd for an extra $5. Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $10 for children 5 and under. Find more details about the Hooved Animal Humane Society’s holiday event and purchase tickets here: Hahs.org/holiday-photos-with-santa.

Warm up to history: The McHenry County Historical Society and Museum will celebrate the season with Warming Up to History from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 6422 N. Main St. in Union. Visitors will enjoy free admission to the museum, an exhibit of themed Christmas trees, vintage World War I and World War II Christmas posters on display and coffee, cocoa and tasty treats in the Christmas Cafe. Kids can drop off a letter to Santa at the Santa Express Mail post office and parents can buy handmade ornaments created by the museum’s education committee. Check out more details on the McHenry County Historical Society and Museum’s Warming up to History event here: Mchenrycountyhistory.org/warm-history-open-house.

Other holiday happenings this weekend:

Miracle on Main: Algonquin’s annual Miracle on Main event will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday along Main Street in Old Town Algonquin. Enjoy holiday music, performances, live ice sculpting, trackless train rides, a vendor market, activities from local businesses and a giant snow globe photo booth. Visit with Santa and his reindeer and watch the tree lighting at 2 S. Main St. Further information on Algonquin’s Miracle on Main can be found at facebook.com/AlgonquinIL.

Very Merry Huntley: Huntley’s holiday festival will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the downtown square. Take trackless train rides, visit with reindeer, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, vote for your favorite Christmas tree, visit Santa and Mrs. Claus and view the lighting of the square along with a firework show. Other community events during the day include a Kris Kringle Market, a Cookie Walk, a toy drive and Running of the Elves 5K. Check out more information on A Very Merry Huntley at huntley.il.us/residents/a_very_merry_huntley.php.

Christmas in Harvard: Plenty of holiday events will be happening Saturday all over Harvard. Stop by the Harvard Diggins Library for a Christmas party, view gingerbread creations, shop a vendor market at Starline Factory and do the Egg Nog Jog 5K at City Hall. Wrap up the day with the Harmilda’s Christmas Parade at 6 p.m. at 201 W. Diggins Street. The lighted parade will conclude with the lighting of the downtown Christmas tree. More details on Harvard’s Christmas events can be found at naturallymchenrycounty.com/event/christmas-in-harvard/2415.

Luminaria Walk: Take a breathtaking stroll under the stars and through a lighted trail from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. Activities include campfires, hot cocoa, cookies, a visit from Mrs. Claus and a chance to explore the Candy Cane Forest. A $1-per-person or $5-per-family donation is recommended. More details on the Crystal Lake Luminaria Walk can be found at crystallakeparks.org/special-events.

Merry Cary: The Merry Cary Holiday Parade and Festival will be from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday at 100 W. Main St. in downtown Cary. Enjoy pony rides, sleigh rides, carolers, a petting zoo, face-painting, a hot cocoa bar, cookie decorating, games, music and a visit with Santa and the Grinch at the family-friendly event. The parade will be filled with festive floats and kicks off at 1 p.m. Find more information on the Merry Cary Holiday Parade at facebook.com/carygrovechamber.

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/.