Downtown McHenry's Holiday Season: Markets, Lights and Getting Around the New One-Way Riverside Drive

Monday morning, Nov. 2, at about 8 a.m., Riverside Drive stopped carrying two-way traffic. The stretch from the Riverwalk Shoppes up to Pearl Street now runs one way, northbound, for good, and underground utility work began the same day. Twelve days later, the first Riverwalk Shoppes Holiday Market opens at 1202 N. Riverside Drive, at the south end of the same block.

So this year's holiday season and the start of a 13-month street project share a few downtown blocks. The events are the same ones you know. Getting to them works differently now, and the busiest day is easier if you plan for that.

What changed on Riverside Drive

According to the City of McHenry's Riverside Drive Streetscape Project page, the one-way pattern is permanent. It comes from the Downtown Streetscape Master Plan the City Council adopted in March 2022, which also calls for brick paver sidewalks and ADA ramps to businesses. At its Oct. 5, 2026 meeting, the council awarded the construction contract to D'Land Construction of Algonquin for $3,719,070.40.

Here's the timeline as the city has posted it:

• Starting Nov. 2, 2026: underground utility work, expected to take three to four months, weather permitting.
• Spring 2027 through November 2027: demolition, rebuilding the road and sidewalks, and replacing aging water mains and service lines, with completion set for Nov. 30, 2027.
• Staging: the east half of the road gets rebuilt first. Work moves to the west half once the east side is mostly done and open.

The project runs from the Riverwalk Shoppes at its south end to McHenry County's first courthouse at its north end. The city says pedestrian access to businesses stays open throughout, though sidewalks between businesses may close from time to time. The press release adds that work is phased to keep traffic and parking open on one side of the street.

A three-to-four-month utility phase that starts Nov. 2 covers the whole holiday calendar. For practical purposes, every event on the list below happens during active work.

Four Saturdays at the Riverwalk Shoppes

The McHenry Area Chamber of Commerce is running the Holiday Market on four Saturdays. Each one has its own theme:

The Chamber says each market brings together the 10 Riverwalk Shoppes and 10-plus market vendors in Miller Point Park, with a food truck and entertainment in the gazebo. The Naturally McHenry County listing gives two sets of hours. The Shoppes are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while food trucks and pop-up vendors run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. If you want lunch from the truck, aim for the middle of the day.

This year's 10 Shoppes are Arlo's Candy Shop, Art for Adrienne, Blink Supply Co., Curated by Laney Boutique, Hello Darling Books & Beyond, Nuqi Soaps, Roots and Routes Co., The Cake Lady, The REfill Shed and The Winter Inn BBQ Company. When the season opened May 1, the Northwest Herald reported that Curated by Laney and Hello Darling were back from last year. That makes the other eight new to the Shoppes in 2026. Even if you came last December, most of these counters will be new to you.

Friday, Nov. 20: windows, cocoa and the first trees

The holiday weekend starts on Friday. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Living Windows turns downtown storefront windows into holiday scenes. The Cocoa Crawl runs at the same time and is sponsored by AteaCo Coffee and Tea. Looking at the windows is free. Cocoa and treats at participating businesses require a $10 mug, which the Chamber sells from Nov. 2 through Nov. 20 or until supplies run out. It has 600 mugs. Sales started this week, so if your Friday plans depend on cocoa, check the Chamber's Living Windows page soon.

Two longer events also open that Friday:

• Festival of Trees, Nov. 20 to Dec. 27: trees decorated by 17 local businesses, displayed at the McHenry Parks and Recreation Department, 3636 Municipal Drive. You vote by leaving a non-perishable food item or toiletries under your favorite tree, and the Chamber's Festival of Trees page says donations go to Veteran's Path to Hope. Viewing hours are posted as 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Letters to Santa, Nov. 20 to Dec. 12: a mailbox at Neumann Park, 1246 N. Green St., sponsored by the Northwest Herald. If kids include a self-addressed stamped envelope, Santa writes back.

The Festival of Trees is on Municipal Drive, well away from the Riverside work. It runs five weeks longer than the big weekend, so it's an easy outing for a weeknight or for guests in late December.

The Chamber also lists holiday deals at participating downtown stores from Nov. 20 to 22, with a holiday map you can download during the event.

Saturday, Nov. 21: the day everything overlaps

On most weekends this season, one or two events are happening downtown. On Nov. 21, all of them are, within a few blocks of the new one-way stretch. Here's the day in order:

1. 10 a.m.: the Riverwalk Shoppes open for the Welcome to Whoville market, with food trucks and pop-ups from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
2. Noon to 4 p.m.: horse-drawn sleigh rides around Veterans Park at 3400 Pearl St., sponsored by Buss Ford Lincoln. To be sure of a ride, be in line by 3:30 p.m. Santa is under the gazebo during the same hours, Home Depot is handing out Kids Build-It Kits, and Chamber members are running kids' games and crafts.
3. 4:30 p.m.: the McHenry High School Vocal Warriors lead holiday carols.
4. 5 p.m.: the City of McHenry switches on the park's holiday lights, which McHenry Parks and Recreation hung around downtown.
5. 6 to 10:30 p.m.: the Polar Express Pub Crawl, 21 and over. Check-in runs 6 to 7 p.m. at the Chamber office, 1307 N. Green St., and you'll need a valid ID.

The pub crawl is the one event where the Chamber talks about getting around. According to its Polar Express Pub Crawl page, a free trolley will run between downtown stops until 10:45 p.m. The farthest stops are about a mile apart, and since some lots may fill up, the Chamber suggests carpooling or using Uber or Lyft. Tickets went on sale Nov. 2 at 11 a.m.

If you're there for the afternoon, think of the day as a walk between two anchors. The market is at the south end of Riverside Drive and Veterans Park is up at Pearl Street. Traffic on Riverside now only flows north toward Pearl, so a driver at the Pearl Street end can't head south down Riverside to reach the Shoppes. Park once and walk between them.

Where to leave the car

The city's downtown public parking page says municipal lots are generally limited to four hours and that street parking is also available. Here are the lots closest to the holiday events, with their mapped capacity:

The map shows what each lot holds on an ordinary day. With work happening on one side of Riverside Drive at a time, some spaces along that stretch may not be available on a given Saturday. A four-hour limit also covers a market visit plus lunch, but not a full day that runs from sleigh rides through the light switch-on. If you plan to stay from noon until after 5 p.m., the Veterans Memorial Park and Pearl Street lots are closest to where the afternoon ends.

Sunday, Nov. 22: the parade uses the same streets

The Toys for Tots parade, hosted by McHenry Parks and Recreation, closes out the weekend. Its listed route goes from Kane Street to Green Street, then Pearl Street, Riverside Drive and Broad Street. That means holiday floats and motorcycles will travel Riverside Drive 20 days after it went one-way. Bring a new, unwrapped toy. Volunteers collect them at the park and along the route. The parade registration form is linked from the Chamber's Holiday Walk page.

The Chamber's event pages don't include event-day closures or detours. Before you head out, check the city's Riverside Drive page. Its last update was Oct. 21, and it's where the city has been posting construction notices. You can also sign up there for the city's monthly email updates.

What the work is building toward

The city says the project is meant to make the corridor more walkable, bring sidewalks and buildings into ADA compliance, and calm traffic. Funding includes a $771,000-plus state grant for pavers and lights, along with Tax Increment Financing and general fund dollars. The city's target for finishing the rebuilt street is Nov. 30, 2027. The streetscape exhibit on the city's site shows the new traffic pattern and planned updates if you want to see how the block will look.

Changes like a permanent one-way street and new sidewalks on a downtown block can affect how a street works for the people who live and own property near it. If you live near Riverside Drive or have been thinking about how downtown McHenry is changing, I'm glad to talk it over. You can reach me through Joy Baez whenever it suits you. Work With Joy.