McHenry Fiesta Days kicks off 11 days of fun!

McHenry Fiesta Days is getting underway!

McHenry Fiesta Days is returning for its 77th year! And besides being one of McHenry County’s most storied festivals, it’s one of the longest – it’s 11 days of fun held over two weekends!

As always, it kicks off with the Cask and Barrel craft beer and whiskey tasting this Thursday, followed by three days of food, music, and fun, including kids’ games, races and the carnival, and ending with a fireworks display. It then returns the following weekend with a full schedule of family-friendly events, ending Sunday, July 20 with the one and only Fiesta Days Parade.

You can find the schedule by visiting their website and following them on Facebook and Instagram.

Watch for Miller Road closure as part of Randall Road project

As part of the Randall Road Improvement Project, the west leg of Miller Road at Randall Road will close starting next Monday, July 14. The closure will last approximately six months and will restrict all access between Miller Road and Randall Road.

Engineering firm Baxter & Woodman posted a one-minute video to illustrate the detour routes, which you can watch by clicking on the picture above. If you’re coming from the south on Randall, take Algonquin Road west to Lakewood Road; if you’re coming from the north on Randall, take Ackman Road west to Lakewood Road.

Click here for additional information on the closure and detour.

To make sure lane closures, traffic pattern shifts and other work doesn’t take you by surprise, be sure to sign up for text alerts by visiting randallroad.info or by texting “Randall” to 866-963-6647.

The multi-year project, when complete, will improve traffic flow and ease congestion on the northern segment of Randall Road between Alexandra Boulevard in Crystal Lake and the Acorn Drive/Polaris Drive intersection in Lake in the Hills. It will add travel lanes, a sidewalk and shared-use path to link bike and pedestrian paths in surrounding neighborhoods, intersection improvements, and more.

First Talk and Tour event of 2025 covers stream restoration

The Talk and Tour presentation series, co-hosted by the McHenry County Planning and Development Department and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, is returning for its fourth year.

The first presentation of the 2025 season, “Stream Restoration for Flood Reduction and Water Quality,” takes place from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, July 25, and will include a tour of one of the Village of Algonquin’s recent stream restoration projects. For decades, Algonquin has successfully addressed flooding concerns by implementing stream and ecological restoration projects; the village and its staff are now receiving well-deserved national recognition for these efforts and for the value the projects provide to their residents.

This workshop is a fantastic opportunity to learn how restoration can be used to mitigate flooding and improve water quality in our communities.

Attendees must register for the free event in advance online; directions and parking instructions will be sent upon receipt of an RSVP. For more information, email McHenry County Water Resources Specialist Scott Kuykendall at SHKuykendall@mchenrycountyil.gov or call 815-334-2863.

R1 Council holding open house on economic development strategy

The Region 1 Planning Council is holding a series of open houses, starting here in McHenry County, to gather public feedback on the updated Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

The strategy aligns the interests of public- and private-sector, nonprofit and community partners into a plan for regional development for McHenry, Boone and Winnebago counties. Having a CEDS plan is important to securing federal economic aid grants.

The first open house will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 15, at Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St. If you can’t make it, open houses have been scheduled for July 22 and July 29 in Rockford and Belvidere.

The R1 Council is a regional agency offering cross-jurisdictional, government-to-government collaborative planning across the three-county region. You can read the current Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy by clicking here.

MCC votes to build $9.3M Engagement Hall

Congratulations to McHenry County College for their plan to build a new campus events center!

The $9.3 million Engagement Center will be used to host college and community happenings – it will be the new home of the events that MCC currently holds, and will expand their ability to host new ones.

The college currently hosts events at its conference center, cafeteria, gym and auditorium, but their sizes and structure limit their usefulness, and cafeteria and gym events disrupt students’ ability to purchase food and practice.

MCC’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted on June 26 to more the project forward; it has set aside $7.2 million, with the remaining balance pledged by a philanthropic donation.

We’ve been proud to write about MCC’s growth in recent years, from the opening of the University Center in Woodstock to the new Foglia Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation – we can’t wait to see this latest vision cross the finish line!

Harvard Farmers’ Market returns to downtown this Saturday

Don’t miss the final date for the Harvard Farmers’ Market, which takes place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Saturday on Ayer Street in downtown!

Come and support local farmers and artisans selling quality products, fresh produce and delicious goods!

With its unique location where the suburbs end and Illinois’ rolling farmland begins, McHenry County is home to a large number of awesome – and several nationally recognized – farmers markets. Not sure where to start? Click here to learn more.

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