Personality key to McHenry County’s festivals
By JAMI KUNZER
You might be able to find food, rides and music at other festivals, but will you find personality?
You will in McHenry County, say organizers of the area’s many celebrations planned this summer.
The county boasts both the longest-running festival in the state - Harvard Milk Days - and one of the largest - Fiesta Days in McHenry.
If the bands – such as Modern Day Romeos and Soul
Asylum at Fiesta Days, don’t draw you in, tradition will, organizer say.
Even the smallest of events have their own flair.
“You can go almost anywhere and get a carnival ride,” said Cort Carlson, executive director of the McHenry County Convention & Visitor Bureau.
“What’s nice is these are really small, hometown celebrations, and people really seem to key into that and enjoy the hometown atmosphere,” he said. “That’s what makes us unique in the Chicago area.”
From America’s Cardboard Cup Regatta in Crystal Lake to Cruise Nights in Cary to the Mozart, jazz and folk festivals in Woodstock, the county definitely offers variety. The events are designed to appeal to all sorts of interests and tastes.
Like barbecue ribs? Lake in the Hills has its Rockin’ Rotary Ribfest July 9-12. The unofficial kick-off of the festival season begins June 4 with the 69th annual Harvard Milk Days.
And the day after the event winds down, organizers will begin planning next year’s Milk Days.
“It’s a year-round thing,” said Harold Vierck, chairman of the festival. His wife, Linda, organized the Talent Show this year.
Longtime residents of Harvard, the couple has been involved with Milk Days for roughly 12 years. Vierck remembers counting the days as a child until the parade and carnival would come to town.
He’s counting the days.
“You look forward to it and then you’re kind of glad when it’s over because it all seems to come in a hurry,” he said. “It’s going to be another good year. There’s a variety for everybody young and old, and we just continue to try to improve the grounds out there.”
Along with the parade, carnival, fireworks display and numerous other attractions, the festival includes the popular Woody’s Menagerie Wildlife Presentation and a Cow Chip Lotto.
But many actually might have heard of the festival because of one of its unique, pre-festival events – the Bed Races, scheduled for Wednesday. Whatever draws the crowd, Vierck said.
“We can be very proud of having a festival like Milk Days, to have something that keeps growing every year,” Vierck said. “It’s a great feeling to be a part of it.”
Kevin Myers feels the same way about his efforts as president of Algonquin Founders’ Days, a festival with a family focus.
Many events have “family this or that,” Myers said. “We have yet to find any festival that truly embodies the family component of it like we do,” he said.
Celebrating its 50th year with an “All that Glitters is Gold” theme, the festival includes all the usuals – a parade, bands, rides and fireworks display in the park.
