Huntley gearing up for this year's Fall Fest
With only a week to go, village trustee Pam Fender says plans are going well for the Huntley Fall Fest, which runs from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sept. 15 at Deicke Park.
"There is so much going on, we're packing almost a week's activities into one day," she told me.
That's too much to pack into one newspaper column, but all the details are posted on the festival Web site at huntleyfallfest.org.
To start the day, the Huntley Park District's running club will hold a "Fun Run And Walk" around Deicke Park and the Huntley Lions Club will hold a pancake breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. in the Rec Center cafeteria.
The popular antique tractor and classic car shows will return, and a professional photographer will be on hand to take photos of car show entrants and their vehicles.
New this year, Fender said, will be a children's stage with live entertainment, a craft fair, antique appraisals, remote-controlled "nitro cars," a bean-bag-toss tournament and -- in the Rec Center gymnasium -- a fine arts show, Huntley history displays and an antique quilt show. The Gazebo Quilters will sell raffle tickets for their Jeremiah Homuth charity quilt, and draw a winner at 6 p.m.
Add to that a variety of great food vendors, a beer garden and live bands throughout the day, plus a library book sale, petting zoo, pony rides and fireworks.
Local donors and business sponsors are also needed to help meet festival costs, Fender added. Call her at (847) 302-6772 if you'd like to contribute or volunteer your time to help.
A sweet win
The school year is off to a sweet start for Huntley High School teacher Anne Pasco, who is one of 1,500 lucky winners in the Edy's third annual Ice Cream Block Party contest. Pasco's entry was chosen last month from more than 17,000 others in the nationwide contest, a company spokesperson said. She plans to hold her party this Saturday ... and no, there's not enough to share with everyone. Darn!
Food drive, celebration
The Huntley Area Chamber of Commerce will have a local food drive from Sept. 10-14 to support the Grafton Township Food Pantry and to celebrate National Chamber of Commerce Week. Non-perishable food items such as canned goods, boxed cake mix or pasta, condiments, coffee or tea are needed, as well as paper products, household cleaning supplies, and toiletry items.
Donations may be dropped off starting Monday at Huntley Travel, Coyote Auto Center, Huntley Collision, Wuich Mechanical Services or the Chamber of Commerce office in Deicke Park. For more information, call Rita Slawek at (847) 669-0166 or send e-mail to info@huntleychamber.org
Drop off your bag of food donations at the Huntley Public Library next week, and you'll get $3 off any fines for overdue materials. The library is offering this one-time-only deal to support the chamber's food drive. Just take your donations to the circulation desk and staff members will credit your account. The credit does not apply, however, to lost or damaged library materials. Call (847) 669-5386.
"Chamber In The Park," a Huntley Chamber of Commerce membership drive, will start at noon on Wednesday in Deicke Park. The public is invited to learn more about Chamber activities, and current members who bring a potential new recruit will receive a free gift. K&D Wieners on Wheels will serve a $5 lunch in the outdoor pavilion, with proceeds benefiting Home Of The Sparrow, a domestic abuse shelter and counseling service. Donations for the Grafton Township Food Pantry will also be accepted at this event.
Methodist golf outing
On Monday, members of Christ United Methodist Church will hold their annual golf outing starting at 1 p.m. at Whisper Creek Golf Course in Sun City. The $150 ticket price includes practice balls, a box lunch and dinner, contests and prizes, plus golf tips from Medinah Golf Club pro Jeff Perdew. Call Debbie Masek at (847) 515-1616 or phone (847) 669-9009.
The church will hold its M & M (Mature Methodists) picnic at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 30 at Deicke Park. Contact Barb Schulze for details.
Campout in the park
Deicke Park is also the site of the Huntley Park District's annual Family Campout, set for this weekend. Check in tonight from 5 to 6:30 p.m., set up your tent, and enjoy hayrides, campfires, hiking, marshmallows and, of course, campfire songs. Can you say "Kumbaya?"
Saturday morning, the Huntley Rotary Club will have a pancake breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. in the REC Center cafeteria, located next to the park on Mill Street.
Camping fees are $20 per site and $5 per person for those who sign up today. Stop by the park office or call (847) 669-3180.