McHenry County News FRE
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11512 N. 2nd ST. • MACHESNEY PARK, IL 61115 • (815) 654-4850 • www.McHenrycountynewspaper.com Display Advertising & Classifieds: 815-654-4850 • Circulation: 815-654-4854 • E-mail:McHenrynews@rvpublishing.com
Volume 6 Issue 39
WOODSTOCK CAR WASH N O W
• 3 Heated Bays • Brand New Vacuums • Automatic Wash Now Open • 7’ High and Large Enough for Dually Pickup Trucks
O P E N
218 Fair Street, Woodstock, IL (Behind McDonalds)
SEPTEMBER 22, 2016
239731
It’s Great…to be Square! By Anne Eickstadt, CORRESPONDENT
S
quare dancing is a uniquely American tradition with its roots in both English Morris dancing and European social dances such as quadrilles and cotillions. It has also been the official national folk dance of the United States since 1982 when Ronald Reagan signed an Act of Congress. In McHenry County, the Woodstock Squares and the McHenry B’n’B Square Dance clubs cohosted a free Intro to Square Dance party on the evening of Thursday, September 7. Members of both clubs came out to be ‘Angels’, providing new visitors with partners and assisting them in learning the calls and steps. First time dancer Boni Anderson says, “I am here to try. It is a fun experience.” Lottie Buckbee is calling the steps tonight, alternating the job with caller Bob Asp. “Square dancing is a wonderful sport,” she tells me. “There is no other exercise or activity that is as much fun. You can exercise and dance at the same time. It’s also an exercise for the mind. There is no need to have ever danced before. Anyone who can walk can square dance.” Proof that square dancing is exercise for the mind is the fact that a number of colleges around the country teach a ‘Square Dance as Math’ course. “Square dancing is fitness for the mind and body,” says Christine Steffy of the Woodstock Squares. “You are listening to the caller and you have to respond correctly. You are walking to the music. You can easily do 5000 steps a night.” “People wear a wide variety of clothes,” she continues. “You want to be comfortable when you learn. You meet all kinds of people. You can dance as much as you want, or not.”
“It’s aerobic,” Marge Machacek of the McHenry B’n’Bs says. “You can dance across the United States. You can dance across the world. All the calls are in English no matter what the country. You just have to get used to the accent. Two years ago, we had a caller from Japan at the national conference. Last year, he came back with 20 people from Japan.” Donna Carpenter, who has been inducted into the Square Dance Hall of Fame, says, “It’s a really nice activity. I’ve been doing it for 40 years. It’s a pleasant social evening. It almost becomes a way of life. It is particularly nice for singles to meet others in a nonthreatening environment.” “We welcome singles and couples of all ages,” Buckbee tells me. “We like all ages from age 10 and up,” Barb Zamastil adds. “Kids love it. One family started dancing last year and they dance a lot. Lessons are every Thursday. No partner needed. Club members come out to dance with learning dancers.” The McHenry B’n’Bs [Bachelors and Bachelorettes] started out as a singles club,” Steffy says. The McHenry club of B’n’B Square Dancing is the local branch of an international square dance organization. Both clubs dance at the McHenry Township Building B, Recreation/Senior Center at 3519 N. Richmond Road, Johnsburg, IL 60051. Lessons are on Thursday evenings. The club dances are on Fridays with the clubs alternating weeks. Further information about square dancing in McHenry County can be found online at: www. mchenrybnbsquaredance.com and www.woodstocksquares.com. Or you can locate a club near you at www. ANNE EICKSTADT PHOTO McHenry County News squaredncechicago.com. Lottie Buckbee, is the caller for the Intro to Square Dancing party.
Wahoo! It’s the Fall Fun Festival By Anne Eickstadt,
from 10 am until 6 pm during the Fall Fun Festival. The festival runs from September 26 – October 25. Donley’s Wild West Town is located at 8512
CORRESPONDENT
School is back in session. Days are getting shorter and cooler weather is well on its way. There are still a lot of seasonal activities we can be enjoying before we pull out the sleds and skis. A popular place to visit at this time of year is Donley’s Wild West Town in Union during their Fall Fun Festival. The grounds are decorated with shocks of corn and photo opportunities that are set up exclusively for this event. Bales of hay are set out for decoration, for sitting on and for kids to clamber over. The cowboy shows continue entertain us at 12:00, 2:00 and 4:30, with one of the shows changing to become a special Halloween presentation with cowboy zombies or other such monsters. Pumpkin painting tables are popular with children under 12 competing for the prize – a return pass for next year. The top three eligible pumpkins, as chosen daily by select judges, will win this coveted prize. The judging is at the end of the day so winners will be notified by mail. You can try your skill at archery, lassos, slingshots, popguns and, for the adults, tomahawk throwing. The Kiddie Pedal Cars, Carousel and Canoes are popular with the children. Some kids make a beeline for the Pony Rides. Kids and adults alike can thrill to the Runaway Mine Cars roller coaster. The ¾ scale model C. P. Huntington train offers two different experiences during the Fall Fun Festival. At some trips, the train will travel down to the Pumpkin Patch where you can trade the beads you received when you entered the Wild West Town for a pumpkin that you can take home with you. At other scheduled times, the train will enter the Spooky Tunnel with its special effects, skeletons, spider webs and whatever other spooky things have made their home in the gloom of the cavern. Face Painting and karaoke are always fun choices. The Ice Cream Parlor and Fudge Shop can satisfy your munchies. Souvenirs
South Union Road, Union, Illinois, 60180. For further information regarding hours, events and coupons, visit www.wildwesttown. com.
You can pick out a pumpkin to take home at the Pumpkin Patch during your fun visit to Donley’s Wild West Town.
are easily found in the toy store and gift shops. You can also dress up in Western or Victorian outfits and have your photo taken as a remembrance of your exciting day. If you want to play a trick on someone, you can have a friend or loved one arrested and thrown into an authentic strap-iron jail cell. Kids of all ages thoroughly enjoy the Wild West Town’s Gold Mine. Panning for gold, even gold pyrite or Fool’s Gold, is very nearly addictive. Gold fever can strike without warning and most everyone wants to try to fill their gold bag. The Fall Fun Festival is an annual favorite and families return year after year to enjoy the seasonal event. You might even spot a celebrity or two mingling with the visitors. Donley’s Wild West Town is designed for families with children under 12. It has plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained throughout the day. It is open on weekends
PHOTOS COURESTY OF DONLEY’S WILD WEST TOWN McHenry County News
The pumpkin painting contest is always a very popular activity for the kids. Sometimes parents join in, just for fun.