Fall Fest turns out beautiful display of Huntley fun
Huntley's Fall Fest returns to Deicke Park again this Saturday, with dozens of activities planned in and around the Huntley Park District Rec Center on Mill Street.
More than 4,000 enjoyed the first Fall Fest last September, and village trustee Pam Fender says this year's event has even more to offer. The $2 gate admission will get you a whole day's worth of fun.
You'll have to get up early, though, if you want to see it all. Check-in is from 6 to 7:30 a.m. Saturday for participants in the 1-mile "Fun Run/Walk" hosted by the Huntley Running Club. The event starts at 8 a.m. All proceeds will go to a fund to build new hiking trails in Betsey Warrington Park.
The coffeepot will be on at the Sun City Lions' pancake breakfast, from 7 to 11 a.m. in the Rec Center cafeteria on Mill Street. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for children ages 3-12.
Meanwhile, the vendors of Huntley's Farmers Market will be in Deicke Park from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. with fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, and handmade items for sale.
Festival gates will be open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. with free parking available off Mill Street and around the park district building. Drivers should enter from Mill Street or Lois Lane. The Deicke Park entrance on Route 47 will be closed to the public. Detailed maps and a complete event schedule are posted at www.huntleyfallfest.org.
Fest highlights include:
• 9:45 a.m: Opening ceremony with Huntley High School Band
• 10 a.m.-noon: Antique appraisals, $5 per item.
• 10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Classic Car Show
• 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Baggo beanbag tournament
• 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Craft Show
• 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Living History Hall, with Huntley history exhibit, quilt show, library book sale, fine art show and "Today and Tomorrow" exhibit.
• 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Children's stage entertainment, games, petting zoo, pony rides
• 10 a.m.-6 p.m.: Vintage tractor show
• 10 a.m.-10 p.m.: Main Stage entertainment, with live bands, singing groups, dancers, more. See a full schedule at www.huntleyfallfest.org.
• Noon-10 p.m.: Beer garden open.
• 8:30 p.m.: Fireworks show
Two school reunions will be held during the Fest in the Rec Center building. Trinity Lutheran's TLC Preschool is planning a 10-year reunion, and members of Huntley High School's Class of 1997 -- the last to graduate from the former high school building -- are invited to return for a special get-together. For details, visit the festival Web site or call the Rec Center office at (847) 669-3180.
Firefighters' new center: The Huntley Fire Protection District will celebrate its 50th anniversary by dedicating its new Ruth Family Firefighter Training Center, on Ernesti Road west of Coyne Station Road. The public is invited to tour the new facility from noon to 3 p.m. Monday. The ceremony starts at 1 p.m., and attendees will get to see a real Flight for Life helicopter. For details and driving directions, call (847) 669-5066.
Huntley firefighters offer monthly classes in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) that are certified by the American Heart Association. The next class will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. Call (847) 669-5066.
Breast Cancer 5K Walk: Has breast cancer touched your life, or that of a friend or loved one?
Sun City Breast Cancer Support Group invites you to join its 5th annual You're Not Alone 5K Walk Sept. 29.
Walkers will step off at 9:30 at the Fountain View Pavilion and walk or ride the course through paved Sun City streets. Participants may walk as far as they like, and golf cart shuttles will be available for those who cannot complete the route. Refreshments will be served, there will be musical entertainment, and a body-wrap quilt will be raffled courtesy of the Gazebo Quilters.
Registration is $15 per person, available now in the Prairie View Lodge Wellness Center and on the day of the event.
Proceeds from the walk go to support local cancer patients and charities. The Sun City Breast Cancer Support Group also meets regularly for friendship and mutual support. Call Audrey Munger at (847) 669-3598 or Lorel Kelson at (847) 515-8859.
Shipshewana excursion: Sun City residents Bob and Peg Hurrie are taking reservations for their ninth annual bus trip to Indiana's Amish country. This yearly excursion to the Shipshewana market, set for Nov. 8, is an antique lover's dream and a gastronome's delight.
The cost of $125 per couple includes your room at the Essenhaus Inn in Middlebury, Ind., and a family-style dinner for two at Das Dutchman restaurant. This trip always fills up fast, so call the Hurries for details or reservations at (847) 515-7455.
Health talk: Eating well and healthy is the topic of the Huntley Area Library's next "Senior Coffee," from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday at MidAmerica Bank, on South Route 47 near Jewel-Osco. Guest speaker Dave Subacz of Trader Joe's in Algonquin will explain the health benefits of antioxidants, and attendees will get to taste the store's gourmet foods and drinks. The program is free. Register by Sunday at the library's reference desk or call (847) 669-5386.
• Send your Huntley area news and events to Diane Ayers at huntleynews@ameritech.net or phone (847) 669-0848.