Fox Valley sure has the Christmas spirit
Forgive Dane Willman if he hasn't had time to chat the past few days. The Carpentersville man and friends are feverishly painting and prepping for what will likely be the biggest float in any holiday parade in the area this weekend.
Or, let's put it this way: You won't miss him during the 20th Dickens in Dundee parade down Route 72 between West Dundee and East Dundee at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Dane will be behind the wheel of his flatbed truck hauling five huge Dickens Village pieces, including the Christmas Carol cottage, Piccadilly Gallery, Dickens' birthplace, Ebenezer Scrooge's flat, and the Daily News building (what, no Daily Herald?!) He's been working to re-create the usually tiny replicas for weeks now and hopes you'll enjoy the effort.
"If I can drive by and have the kids going 'ooohh' and 'aahhh' and give the kids a kick, then that's what it's about," Dane said.
I doubt those ooh's and ahh's will be emanating from just youngsters.
The Dickens fun starts tonight with the 6 p.m. tree lighting in East Dundee followed by the 7 p.m. tree lighting in West Dundee. In between you can stroll the sidewalks to get a view of the "Living Windows" displays. Bundle up; it'll be brisk.
And it sounds like Mother Nature just might again bring a blanket of white in time for that Saturday parade. Let's just hope it's not so much it makes Dane's dickens of a float look small.
Parading along
If you can't make it to Dickens, you'll get another chance to see Dane's float at the Algonquin holiday lights parade at 3:30 p.m. along Harrison Street, ending at the Riverfront Gazebo where you'll find hot chocolate and cookies, thanks to the village.
Or you can also see the Dickens float among many others at the Merry Cary parade, which starts at 1 p.m. Sunday and goes down West Main Street through downtown Cary to Jandus Road. After the parade, you'll find a children's train, pony and wagon rides, petting zoo, Dickens carolers and more. Ho ho ho!
Trees for troops
'Tis definitely the season to just call George Richardson the tree Santa. Once again, the Spring Grove Christmas tree farmer is helping make sure the families of American troops have a bit of Christmas in their living rooms this year.
He's part of a Trees for Troops campaign, which provides thousands of fresh-cut trees to our service members and their families at military bases across the country. They're even shipping some overseas.
George's trees were picked up by a FedEx truck Thursday and will be delivered to the Great Lakes Naval Base today as part of the joint effort with the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation. They've sure got the spirit part right.
By the way, the Richardson Tree Farm still has plenty of green for the rest of us. You'll find more than 50,000 trees of all sizes on 75 acres on Route 12, about five miles south of the Wisconsin border. They have free hot chocolate and coffee and freshly made doughnuts and free wagon rides on the weekends. They also have wreaths, roping and decorations and a heated sales barn.
You'll find plenty more details at www.richardsonfarm.com or by calling (815) 675-2062.
Giving spirit
If you're in the spirit, as so many others clearly are, how would you like to help Shop with a Cop?
Howie Parth of the McHenry County Sheriff's Marine Unit reminds me that the very special shopping trip, when officers from across the county and Illinois State Police troopers will take 200 children shopping Dec. 9.
They give each child $150 to purchase what they need or want and also provide each child with a new winter coat and boots. Through the years, cops and reporters alike are both impressed and saddened when many of those kids pick out basic necessities for their families instead of just toys for themselves. If you'd like, you can donate to McHenry County Police Charities at P.O. Box 981, Crystal Lake, IL 60039. It's a terrific cause.
Don't forget!
As long as I'm on a holiday jaunt, let me remind you about that craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at St. John Lutheran School, 300 Jefferson St., Algonquin. It's the perfect way to spend an hour or two before heading to Algonquin's holiday lights parade and festivities.
By the way, I hear you'll find Sue's potato soup and turkey vegetable soup and Rose's chili (with or without beans) at the St. John soup and salad lunch bar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
One last reminder for this busy weekend. Don't forget to stop by the sled hockey tournament at the Leafs Ice Center on Route 72, west of Randall Road in West Dundee (just west of Dundee Middle School). It's free, sounds like fun and you just might find yourself wanting to hit the ice yourself.
Or the hot chocolate. Have fun and I'll see you on Sunday!