Your guide to holiday 2024 in McHenry County: Festivals and other events

With Thanksgiving approaching, plenty of holiday events are scheduled all over McHenry County to get people in the spirit this winter. This list include celebrations, parades, walks and festivals.

Also, keep checking the Northwest Herald for our weekly 5 Things to Do in McHenry County feature, which will provide up-to-date information the week of events and highlights of additional events not included here.

A community calendar is available online at nwherald.com under Event Calendar.

Here are some holiday-themed events happening this season:Downtown McHenry Holiday Walk: Stroll through the streets of downtown McHenry for this year's Holiday Walk from Nov. 22 to 24 at Veterans Memorial Park, 3400 Pearl St. Enjoy horse-drawn sleigh rides, trolley rides, a scavenger hunt, write letters to Santa and meet Santa under the gazebo. Join the city in flipping the switch of twinkling lights around the streets, enjoy plenty of games and craft activities for kids Saturday, and watch the Toys for Tots parade Sunday. Find more details about McHenry's Holiday Walk here : mchenrychamber.com/downtown-holiday-walk.

Time Warp Express: Go on a trolly adventure to save Santa at the Volo Auto Museum's Time Warp Express on Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 22 through Dec. 30 at 27582 Volo Village Road, Volo. View dazzling lights, enjoy treats, meet Santa and work with the elves to save Santa. Tickets are $29.95 and children ages 4 and younger are admitted free. Details and tickets can be found at volocars.com/train-tours-time-warp-express.

Legend of the Pickle: Hunt for pickles hidden at various Woodstock businesses during the Legend of the Pickle Scavenger Hunt until Dec. 11. Unscramble clues to find 20 ornamental pickles hidden in participating businesses. Turn in a completed game card by Dec. 11 to receive an ornament and a chance to win grand and local prizes. Information and the game card can be found at woodstockilchamber.com/legend-of-the-pickle.

Lighting of the Square: Watch tens of thousands of holiday lights flick on at the annual Lighting of the Square from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 29 in Woodstock. The day will be packed with festive activities including live music, food trucks, Dickens carolers, photo booths, fire trucks on display and crafts. View tree displays at the Woodstock Opera House and gingerbread creations at the Courthouse. Meet with Santa and Willie the Woodstock at Square Park. Find more information at realwoodstock.com/events/lighting-of-woodstock-square.

Festival of Lights Parade: Light up the night for the holidays during Crystal Lake 's annual Festival of Lights Parade at 7 p.m. Nov. 29 in downtown Crystal Lake. This year's theme of "Wish You Were Here: An Island Christmas" will feature decorations of palm trees, ukuleles and holiday cheer under the stars. Floats with dazzling displays will light up the city's only nighttime parade. Check out more information on Crystal Lake's Festival of Lights at downtowncl.org/events/festival-of-lights.

Visit Santa's House in Crystal Lake: Meet Santa Claus at his house every Thursday though Sunday from Nov. 29 to Dec. 22 at the Brink Street Market in downtown Crystal Lake. Share Christmas wishes, take photos and take in the festive atmosphere. More information can be found at downtowncl.org.

Holiday Railway: Embark on a magical train ride with Santa on the Happy Holiday Railway on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23 at the Illinois Railway Museum, at 7000 Olson Road, Union . Enjoy hot cocoa and cookies while viewing an animated light show with holiday songs. Opening weekend begins Friday, Nov. 29, and will have a fireworks display at 5:45 p.m. Tickets cost $25. Find more details and purchase tickets at Irm.org.

Visit Santa's Hut in Woodstock: Santa will be available for visitors everyday from Dec. 2 to 23 at his hut located at the southeast corner of the downtown Woodstock Square. 5-minute slot to tell Santa your gift wishes and bring your own camera for photos. Donations of new or gently used children's books are requested, but not required. Check out more information at realwoodstock.com/events/santa-hut-visits.

Luminaria Walk: Take a breathtaking stroll under the stars and through a lighted trail from Dec. 4 through 7 at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. Stop by Saturday for extra activities including 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 can be found at crystallakeparks.org/special-events.

Luminary Nights: Experience the magic of downtown Crystal Lake's charming streets lit up by luminaries from 5 to 8 p.m. every Thursday night in December. Sip hot cocoa, visit Santa and shop local businesses for unique holiday gifts. Check out more details at downtowncl.org/events/luminary-nights.

Fox River Grove's tree lighting: Light up the village's Christmas tree at 5:45 p.m. Dec. 6 at the Fox River Grove 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 at facebook.com/frgliving.

A Very Merry Huntley: Huntley 's holiday festival will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 7 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 at huntley.il.us/residents/a_very_merry_huntley.php.

Christmas in Harvard: Plenty of holiday events will be happening Dec. 7 all over the city of 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 can be found at naturallymchenrycounty.com/event/christmas-in-harvard/2415.

Miracle on Main: Kick off the holiday season at Algonquin 's annual Miracle on Main event from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 7 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 can be found at facebook.com/AlgonquinIL.

Merry Cary: Get festive during the Merry Cary Holiday Parade and Festival from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 8 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 .

Carriage rides: Take an enchanting horse-drawn carriage ride through Woodstock's historic downtown square every Sunday in December starting Dec. 8 at 121 Van Buren St. The rides will be from 2 to 4:30 p.m. and are first-come, first-served. More details are found at realwoodstock.com/events/carriage-rides-on-the-historic-woodstock-square.

Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl: View custom ice sculptures while sipping hot cocoa during the Ice Sculpture Cocoa Crawl from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 14 at the downtown Huntley Square. Fill up on hot cocoa in a collectable at walkable stations, eat s'mores and look at holiday animation-themed ice sculptures around the downtown square. Viewing the ice sculptures is free, and tickets for the Cocoa Crawl cost $5 to $20. Check out more details and buy tickets at huntleychamber.org/cocoa-crawl .