Northwest suburbs commemorate Sept. 11 on Saturday

Barrington: Freedom Run starts at 9:11 a.m. Saturday at the Metra train station parking lot. Hosted by Barrington's We Do Care organization, the 9.11-mile Run attracts civilians running side-by-side with active duty soldiers and veterans through neighborhoods and parks. Freedom Run racers in Barrington will be shadowed by active duty military racers at four military bases in Belgium, Germany, Guantanamo Bay and Saudi Arabia.

Barrington: Freedom Fest, noon-10 p.m. at the Metra train station parking lot. Family fun, military ceremony and outreach, live music from the Trippin Billies (Dave Matthews covers) and the Righteous Hillbillies. Food and beer garden. Admission free. we-do-care.org or (847) 381-7797.

Des Plaines: Ceremony begins at 8 a.m. Saturday outside City Hall, 1420 Miner St., hosted by the Des Plaines fire and police departments, American Legion Post 36 and VFW Post 2992. VFW Post Commander David Murphy, Des Plaines Police Commander Nicholas Treantafeles, Deputy Fire Chief Ron Eilken, and Media Specialist William Soderberg are coordinating the event, expected to last a half-hour and include an Honor and Color Guard and commentary by Mayor Martin J. Moylan, Police Chief Jim Prandini, Deputy Fire Chief Ron Eilken and a guest speaker. Veterans, police and fire will lay wreaths; the The national anthem, "Taps" and "Amazing Grace." (847) 398-1575.

Hanover Park: A memorial ceremony honoring fallen 9/11 emergency service personnel and all the firefighters and police officers that serve the community, begins 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Hanover Park Fire Station No. 1, 6850 Barrington Road. Resident Dallas Braun will present a 13-by-8 foot crocheted flag to the village.

Hoffman Estates: Ceremony begins 10 a.m. Saturday, outside the new Hoffman Estates police station, 411 W. Higgins Road. Lieutenant and Sept. 11 first responder John Schneidwind will be the speaker of honor. Following the ceremony, come inside for refreshments and tours of the new police station. (847) 781-2606.

Inverness: The Palatine Rural Fire Protection District will host an open house and Sept. 11 memorial service, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the fire station, 35 Ela Road. The open house will have food, multiple vendors, hands-on demonstrations, a sprinkler trailer to show how a live fire works, live music by The Fairlanes and games. The memorial service is at 10:30 a.m., and Flight for Life will land about noon. Shuttles will run to the fire station from Holy Family Parish, 2515 Palatine Road in Inverness.

Mount Prospect: Memorial ceremony begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Village Green in front of Village Hall, 50 S. Emerson St. Hosted by the Mount Prospect fire and police departments, the 9/11 remembrance ceremony will honor those who lost their lives nine years ago. Public invited; in case of rain, ceremony moved indoors to the Village Hall Community Center. Features Mayor Irvana Wilks, Deputy Fire Chief John Malcolm, members of the fire and police departments, bagpiper the local American Legion and VFW.

Palatine: Ceremony, 9-10 a.m. Saturday, at the Palatine Firefighters Memorial at North Brockway and West Slade streets in downtown Palatine. Palatine Fire Department members will march to the site from Station 85 at 39 E. Colfax St., led by the Palatine Fire Department Honor Guard and Palatine firefighter Jeb Kaiser on the bagpipes. The Honor Guard will present the flag and place a wreath at the memorial. There will be a ceremonial ringing of the bell, and Palatine firefighters will renew their oath of office.

Wheeling: Pay tribute to the village's police and fire officers and raise money for the Illinois burn camp at Saturday's pig roast at the Market Square Restaurant, 600 W. Dundee Road. The event is 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and an honor guard will honor Wheeling police and fire officers at 2 p.m. Tickets for the pig roast dinner are $10. The event raises about $20,000 per year, said Mike Moran, Wheeling's police and fire commissioner. Moran added that every child will be entered in a free raffle - one of the prizes is skipping the usual bus ride in favor of being driven to school in a fire truck.