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Look at what’s opening up for the Memorial Day Weekend!

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Resume McHenry County Update!
Through our collaboration with McHenry County, we will continue to share important information on stimulus programs, PPP loans, COVID-19 updates and more through its Resume McHenry County Updates.
Please take a moment to scroll down to see new advancements this week as we move to open McHenry County. If MCEDC can be of any help, please call. Forward this email to your friends and family to help get the word out!

 

Memorial Day Weekend

The Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of the summer holiday travel season. It’s made even sweeter this year with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions – which will disappear entirely in two weeks if the state’s metrics hold.
If you’re looking for places to go and things to do in McHenry County and elsewhere in Illinois, this week’s edition of the Resume McHenry County e-newsletter is for you.

 

Illinois vacation ideas made easy

As we get out to enjoy the summer, and hopefully make up for lost time from last year’s lockdowns, our friends at Visit McHenry County have been hard at work preparing for a busy summer for people wanting to enjoy everything the county has to offer.
Visit McHenry County has partnered with eight other tourism organizations to kick off the Visit Chicagoland campaign, with the theme “The Only Thing Missing Is You,” to promote the Chicago area’s many sights and experiences. Their awesome website, which is easy to navigate and full of great ideas, can be found at www.visitchicagoland.com.
If you’re looking to expand your options to the entire state, the new “Time for Me to Drive” campaign to encourage residents and out-of-state tourists to get out and drive Illinois may be to your liking. You can learn more, and read more than 60 sample travel itineraries, at the Illinois Office of Tourism website at www.enjoyillinois.com.
Fun fact: the campaign name is a takeoff on the song “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon, which originally hails from Champaign.

 

Local vacation ideas made even easier

If you want to keep your vacation plans local – and while we’re all on the same side in the fight against COVID-19, we won’t talk you out of spending your money here – there are two great ways to find upcoming events.
Check out Visit McHenry County‘s events calendar at www.visitmchenrycounty.com/events for an outstanding list of activities for kids, families, and adults.
And let’s not forget enjoying nature after spending goodness knows how long in lockdown. The McHenry County Conservation District, which is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, has a calendar of events it hosts; you can find it, along with maps of its 35 sites and hundreds of miles of hiking, biking and horseback trails, at their website at www.mccdistrict.org.

 

Full Saturday schedules returning to Metra

If your day-trip travel plans include visiting Chicago or the other suburbs, Metra is kicking off summer vacation season this Memorial Day weekend with the full resumption of Saturday service.
Effective this weekend, Saturday service will return to pre-pandemic levels on the Union Pacific-Northwest line that serves McHenry County, as well as Metra’s other six lines.
During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, Metra reduced weekend service to Sunday schedules on most of its lines.
The new Saturday schedules can be found on Metra’s website at www.metrarail.com.

 

Doing your part to help us fully reopen

As we wrote earlier, Illinois is on track to go to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan – which means an end to all capacity restrictions – on June 11.
That will happen only if our metrics continue to be favorable. If you want Illinois to reopen as scheduled – which will mean a lot less hassle trying all the travel and leisure ideas we’ve laid out in this week’s edition – the best thing you can do to help is to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
As of today, almost two-thirds of Illinois adults have received at least one dose, and almost half are fully vaccinated. If you’ve done your part and you’re among the protected, thank you. If you haven’t gotten the vaccine yet, and you don’t have a medical reason not to, it’s time.
It’s easier than ever to get the vaccine – there’s so much on hand that the McHenry County Department of Health, as well as many pharmacies, are taking walk-in appointments.
You can make an appointment for an MCDH clinic or other government-run vaccination site by visiting the state’s vaccine registration page at https://covidvaccination.dph.illinois.gov. For a list of retail pharmacies offering the vaccine, visit http://coronavirus.illinois.gov, or the MCDH vaccine locator page at http://bit.ly/MCDHFindVaccine. Even though the MCDH and other sites are taking walk-ins, it’s still a good idea to make an appointment.
People without Internet or who need translation services can schedule an appointment through the MCDH Call Center at 815-334-4045, or by calling the Illinois Department of Public Health hotline at 833-621-1284. If you have a neighbor or relative who needs assistance, please help them make an appointment or help them contact the Call Center.

 

Stade’s Farm and Market opening this Saturday

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to abate as more people get vaccinated, we’ve been highlighting the return of McHenry County‘s iconic attractions.
You’d be hard-pressed to find anything more quintessentially summer than fruits and vegetables picked fresh from rich, black McHenry County soil.
Picking your own produce is a great activity for the whole family, and Stade’s Farm and Market, north of McHenry, is a great place to do it.
The popular pick-your-own destination opens its doors this Saturday and includes a petting zoo, slides, hayrides and attractions, on top of its 120 acres of produce.
Click here for a calendar of when crops, from apples to snap peas to tomatoes, will come into season. While some crops are already available, Stade’s shelves are stocked with sauces, pickles, baked goods and other favorites.

 
We hope we got your attention. We need your help reaching more McHenry County residents and businesses to share this important information about the COVID-19 response and connect them with vital resources.
Please take these four steps:
1. Share/forward to your email/newsletter contacts.
2. Post information to your website.
3. Follow us on social media (see below); share our posts with your followers.
4. If you are not on the McHenry County Constant Contact list, please subscribe here
 

Follow McHenry County Government On Social Media

Staying connected and informed is more important now than ever! Follow McHenry County on social media for regular updates on COVID-19 in our region, resources to help you navigate the pandemic, safety tips and more!

 

What is Resume McHenry County?

Resume McHenry County 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. The goal is to ensure a successful reopening of our economy so that we can return to our lifestyles safely and responsibly.