Fox Valley briefs

Historic house tour:

Eight homes in Elgin's Gold Coast neighborhood will be featured Saturday, Sept. 13, at the 27th annual Historic Elgin House Tour. Organized by the Gifford Park Association, the tour runs from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the day of the tour ($10 for children 12 and younger and seniors). Advance tickets are available at Al's Cafe and Creamery, 43 DuPage Court; Jewel grocery stores at 1660 Larkin Ave. and 1040 Summit Drive; and Ziegler's Ace Hardware, 215 N. Spring St. and 1158 Lillian St. Tour booklets must be picked up Saturday at the Sherman Hospital lobby, 934 Center St. For details, call (847) 741-8533 or visit www.gifford-park-assoc.org.

Smelt fry:

The South Elgin Lions Club will host its first-ever smelt fry from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, at 500 Fulton St., South Elgin. The cost is $7 and includes smelt, fries and coleslaw. A cash bar with $1 drafts also is available, along with free hot dogs for kids. Carryout dinners also are available. A disc jockey will begin playing music at 7 p.m. Call (847) 888-9575.

Crackdown on drivers

Algonquin police, with the McHenry County Sheriff's Department made eight DUI arrests and 26 other arrests during a recent crackdown on impaired drivers that lasted from Aug. 15 through Sept. 1. On Labor Day weekend, there were 12 citations for driving without a valid license, six arrests for driving with a suspended license, one arrest for DUI and one other person was picked up on a warrant.

Firefighter expo on Saturday:

Firefighters from across the suburbs will gather from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, outside Cabela's in Hoffman Estates for a fire apparatus exposition and are inviting the public. The day's events will feature a demonstration by technical rescue team rappelling 100 feet and using the Jaws of Death to tear through a car. Kids will have a chance to try on firefighter gear. Admission is free, and firefighters will be available to talk about safety-related matters. Departments including Algonquin, Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Elgin and Hampshire will be on hand. Cabela's is at 5225 Prairie Stone Parkway near Route 59 and I-90.