Find antiques, crafts, pumpkins and fall decor on the McHenry County Autumn Drive
Love garage sales? Antiques? Maybe you're into arts and crafts, apple picking, or finding a place for the kids to have outdoor fun.
The 28th annual Autumn Drive to be held Friday through Sunday, Oct. 16-18 in Woodstock, Marengo and Union is offering all of these things, with 26 places to stop and explore booths, barns, garages, studios and orchards. (Don't worry. They'll give you a map).
The hardest thing about this hugely popular event may be trying to describe it, according to Robert Blue of Blue Eagle Pottery, Stop #7 on the map.
"It's not a farmers market, a music festival, an art fair or an antique show," Blue said. "It's not apple picking, hay rides, or a garage sale. It's all of them put together."
Blue has been part of Autumn Drive since its inception when local watercolorist and neighbor Fran Stake had the idea for the community to pool its talents and host an event. The late Henry Roi, a local farmer who loved going to auctions, also helped.
"He'd come home with a haywagon full of stuff and then have barn sales," Blue said. "He had a hodgepodge of stuff."
Blue and his wife Sue, an educator who started the pottery program at McHenry County College, have been throwing pottery for over 40 years. Robert's work is in 45 different stores.
They'll open their studio to sell their unique mugs, bowls and other pieces ranging from $20 to $500. They also have 10 other exhibitors, including glass jewelry maker Marti Schmidt. Blue Eagle Pottery is at 16105 Garden Valley Road in Woodstock.
Autumn Drive has grown over the years and stretches across a three-mile radius. People come from as far as Minnesota and Missouri, and during bad weather, Blue has seen crowds of up to 10,000 people. Good weather can bring in another 5,000, he said.
About half of the stops have several booths on the same property, and some have nonprofit organizations raising funds for breast cancer research, autistic children, and the local Boy Scouts, among others.
"We like to give back to the community," Blue said, adding that he has five booths for charities at his stop.
This year's event may be even better than past years with the plentiful apple crop. Prairie Sky Orchard in Union, Stop #22, began picking apples in September because branches were laden with the weight of too many apples. You can buy a frozen pie, hot cider, apple cider doughnuts and apple slices with caramel sauce, to name a few items for sale.
Meanwhile, Joe and Lois Grasser of Grasser's Antiques in Woodstock, Stop #10, will feature antique restored furniture from $30 to $1,500 per piece. Joe specializes in restoring antique trunks.
"The trunks range from late 1800s with the old, hand-cut dovetails on the corners, turn-of-the-century steamer trunks, and some are tool boxes made by carpenters," Joe said.
He scrubs down the trunks with a pressure washer, peels the paper from inside and then dries them out. He then sands inside and out, makes necessary repairs, varnishes them and replaces the leather handles or other hardware. About 25 or 30 trunks are for sale from $75 to $250.
Grasser's Antiques also has vintage jewelry from 50 cents and up, kitchenware and decorative vases at reasonable prices.
Autumn Drive is quite a diverse event, according to Lois.
"I always tell people to come out," Lois said. "Stop where you want, and if you don't see what you like at the first place, try the next place because it's going to be totally different."
Countryside Nursery, Stop #9, will sell mums, the McHenry County Historical Society, Stop #6, has delicious kettle corn for sale, and The Farmer's Wife, Stop #11, will have holiday items and a fire pit for shoppers to warm themselves. As you meander through the rural route, look for scattered garage sales and the brilliant colors of changing trees.
"This weekend is going to be the most colorful weekend of the fall," Blue said.
Activities for the little ones include corn mazes, apple and pumpkin launching, petting zoos, pig races and wagon rides.
"There's something for almost everyone who comes, and that's why people enjoy it," Blue said.
Watch for limited parking this year along the north side of Garden Valley Road, but ample parking at a lot of the stops. The Grassers, for example, at 16301 Garden Valley Road, have six acres and will offer free parking behind their barn.
The best advice from vendors is to take your time, follow directional signs, and bring cash. Not all vendors accept credit and debit cards, although there will be an ATM at Blue Eagle Pottery.
"Come with an attitude of enjoyment and patience," Blue said. "Enjoy the colors and enjoy the day."
The Autumn Drive takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-18. For a full list of vendors, visit www.autumndrive.net, facebook.com/autumndrive, or call (815) 923-2529 for more information.
If you go
What: 28th annual Autumn Drive
When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-18.
Where: There are 26 stops in Woodstock, Union and Marengo, many of which are along Garden Valley Road in Woodstock.
Admission: Free
Details: For a full list of vendors and locations, visit <a href="http://www.autumndrive.net">www.autumndrive.net</a>, facebook.com/autumndrive, or call (815) 923-2529.