A New Class of Small Businesses Opens Friday at McHenry Riverwalk!

A new class of small businesses open Friday at McHenry Riverwalk!

Shops will open at 10 a.m., following a 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting ceremony by the McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce. Come on down and visit this year’s shop tenants: AteaCo Coffee and Tea, Big Bear Glasses, Curated by Laney, Hello Darling Books & Beyond, KEST Jewelry, Marvin’s Toy Store, Oh My Ganache, Patina Wine Shop McHenry, The Olive Tap Crystal Lake, and Windy City Wheelers.

Hours for the Riverwalk, located at 1202 Riverside Drive in McHenry, are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 to 4 on Sundays – check with the businesses for extended hours.

This is the third season of the Riverwalk, an ingenious business incubator that the McHenry Chamber opened to give small entrepreneurs a taste of operating a brick-and-mortar location. You can learn more about it by clicking here, or by following the Shoppes on Facebook.

By the way, the rotating businesses earned $500,000 in retail sales in the first season, and $625,000 last year – that’s more than $1.2 million! Good luck to this year’s tenants!

Be on the lookout for fresh asparagus!

If you love fresh and locally grown asparagus, it’s almost time!

McHenry County is a paradise for people who love farmers’ markets and you-pick produce – and asparagus is one of the first crops ready to be enjoyed.

The green spears have been rising from the ground at Spears to You, in rural Harvard, and picking time is just around the corner!

Keep an eye on their Facebook page and website for an opening date!

The farm, located at 5810 Schultz Road, has you-pick hours from 10 a.m, to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays once they’re ready.

MCCD sites are open and waiting for spring visitors

Thirty-five MCCD sites – and their 106 miles of hiking trails, 45 miles of biking trails, 25 fishing areas, and more – are waiting for you to discover them.

There are some locations that are still closed for maintenance and rehabilitation – you can click here to check on the status of your favorite site, or new site you want to check out.

You can find an interactive map of all district sites open to the public, including trail maps, by clicking here.

Metra looking for student entries for 2025 safety poster contest

Metra’s asking students across Chicagoland to put their creativity to work to help spread the message of rail safety for the 18th annual competition.

This year’s contest theme is “See Tracks, Stay Back.” Students can win up to $500 in prizes for their original artwork, which will be featured in Metra’s 2026 safety calendar and on Metra’s Saturday/Sunday/Holiday Day Passes. Students in grades K through 4 can submit a hand-drawn poster, and students in grades 5 through 12 can submit either hand-drawn or digital artwork, which will be judged in separate categories.

The deadline is the end of the day on June 1, and winners will be notified the week of June 16. Click here to learn more and submit entries.

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Huntley Derby day celebrates Kentucky Derby

Besides a best-dressed contest, Derby fun includes fancy hat making, human “horse” races, and a bourbon and beer trot for the adults. And all 14 races will be playing on a giant-screen TV.

The event is free, but the Bourbon and Beer Trot (featuring six local spots) is $30 per 21-and-over adult. Bourbon and Beer Trot tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

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McH Thrive is a collaborative initiative being implemented by McHenry County and the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) in partnership with the McHenry County community, including cities and villages, businesses and residents.