Grassroots Action / Parades

COORDINATED CAMPAIGN WEEKEND OF ACTION

WHEN:  Saturday and Sunday, June 6th & 7th, 2026 - starting as early as 10:00 am on Saturday, and 1:00 pm on Sunday
WHERE:  DPMC Office, 682 South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock

It's the official start of the 2026 campaign season, leading up to the November 3rd, 2026 general election.

Please join our great candidates, and Democrats throughout Illinois, as we get out there to knock on doors.  "This is what democracy looks like," goes the saying -- talking to our neighbors, learning about their concerns, and letting them know about our great candidates.

We'll take as much of the weekend as you can spare ... even two hours is worthwhile !  We'll be starting from our Democratic Party office in Woodstock and from other locations around the county.

Please RSVP so we know to expect you.  For more information please reach out to Ed Gogol, [email protected] or 815-596-0892.

Parade with us at the 2026 Harvard Milk Days! 

WHEN:  Saturday, June 6th, 2026 -- stepoff at 1:00 pm

WHERE:  Look for our float in the parking lot of Harvard High School, at 1103 North Jefferson Street.
We'll be there by 11:00am.  Come early and help us set up.

For your convenience, we're laying on a shuttle so you can park near the parade end.
Anytime between 11:00am and 12:15pm (last run leaves 12:15 sharp) ...
Park at Milky Way Park, 300 Lawrence Road, as close to the east side as you can.
Look for our Democratic sign and red van by the east entrance to the park, by Ratzlaff St & W Washington St.

Here's the parade route (and here it is as a printable PDF or a full-size JPG.)

Walk with Maria Peterson at the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade

WHEN:  Sunday, June 7th, 2026 -- 11:00 am stepoff (please arrive by 9:30)
WHERE:  Corner of LaSalle Lane and Lyon Drive, Buffalo Grove

The awesome Maria Peterson is going to flip the 52nd state rep district from red to blue this November.

Please join Maria and the District 52 campaign team at the Buffalo Grove Pride Parade! Come march with us and show that District 52 stands with the LGBTQ+ community, loud and proud.  This is a fun, high-energy event and a chance to connect with neighbors, show our campaign's values, and celebrate together. All are welcome, bring your friends, your family, and your enthusiasm.  Just show up ready to have a good time!

Visit Maria Peterson at mariafor52.com or on Facebook, and/or donate to her campaign here.

Please RSVP here.

Questions:  Please reach out to Matt Palubin at [email protected] or 708-990-2726.

If there's one shindig we McHenry Democrats never miss, it's Woodstock Pride.  Join us as we celebrate love and diversity.

WHEN:  Sunday June 14th, 2026 -- The parade steps off at 11:00 am.

WHERE:  The parade assembly point is usually at the Dean Street Elementary School, at the corner of Dean Street and Forest Avenue, a few blocks south of Woodstock Square.

The parade goes north, up to and around the square, and then the festivities follow.  

Please RSVP -- march with us and/or with your favorite candidate!  And we also need help with setup for our float and at the square. Choose from:

• 9am to 11am -- setup of our booth in the Square
• 11am to 1pm -- first shift
• 1pm to 3pm -- second shift
• 3pm to 5:30 -- last shift and teardown

Thanks so much.  Questions?  please reach out to [email protected].

McHenry County's Fourth Annual Juneteenth Festival

WHEN:  Saturday, June 20th, 2026 -- 3:00 to 5:30 pm
WHERE:  Woodstock Square (set your GPS to Woodstock Square Historic District, 121 West Van Buren Street)

hosted by McHenry County Juneteenth

If you'd like to help out at our Democratic Party booth, please RSVP for one or more shifts:  2 to 3 (setup); 3 to 4, 4 to 5, and 5 to 6 (including teardown).  We're doing short shifts so you can help out and still enjoy the festival.

What it is: Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

Our theme: 2026 Juneteenth Theme: "Honoring the Past, Serving the Present, and Inspiring the Future"

What to Expect: We celebrate with music, capoeira, storytelling for children and adults, inspirational messages from community leaders, exihibits from community partners who share our values of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Visit our website to register to exhibit (no charge) your product or service, to volunteer, or to donate. (McHenry County Juneteenth is a 501(c)3 organizatdonation. Your contributions are tax deductible.)

https://mchenrycountyjuneteenth.com

Juneteenth commemorates the date of June 19, 1865, when Union troops marched to Galveston, Texas and enforced the January 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, freeing over 250,000 enslaved persons still held in bondage, deprived of their freedom and basic dignity. The first Juneteenth celebration occurred in Texas on June 19, 1866. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021.

For more information please contact [email protected].

HUNTLEY INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE

Please join the Democratic Party of McHenry County as we march in the 2026 Independence Day Parade in Huntley.  Come celebrate our nation's heritage of democracy and freedom, help campaign for all our great candidates, and see the latest improvements to our float.

WHEN:  Saturday, June 27th, 2026 -- parade steps off at 10:00 am
WHERE:  Step-off from intersection of Bakley Street & Main Street, Huntley

We'll have info on our # in the parade and our exact assembly point, closer to the date.

The parade route takes us west to the Huntley Square, and then north on Woodstock Street toward 1st Street.

Please RSVP so we know to expect you.

Please arrive early as it will be crowded.  We'll be arriving with our float at the setup area about 8:00 am, come early to help setup and decorate.

For more information contact [email protected].

SPRING GROVE INDEPENDENCE DAY PARADE

Please join the Democratic Party of McHenry County as we march in the 2026 Independence Day Parade in Spring Grove.  Come celebrate our nation's heritage of democracy and freedom, help campaign for all our great candidates, and see the latest improvements to our float.

WHEN:  Saturday, July 4th, 2026 -- parade steps off at noon
WHERE:  Step-off from intersection of Main Street Road & Blivin Street, Spring Grove

We'll have info on our # in the parade and our exact assembly point, closer to the date.

Here's info from the organizers, and here's the parade route .  

Please RSVP so we know to expect you.

Please arrive early as it will be crowded.  We'll be arriving with our float at the setup area about 8:00 am, come early to help setup and decorate.

For more information contact [email protected].

We always enjoy the Crystal Lake Independence Day Parade.  Come celebrate our nation's heritage of democracy and freedom, help campaign for all our great candidates, and see the latest improvements to our float.

It's happening this year on Sunday, July 5th, 2026.

The parade steps off at 1:00pm.  Marchers, please line-up by 12:30.  Float decorators welcome - come at 11 am.

We'll know our number in the parade closer to the date.  Normally, the assembly point is the "BOSS" parking lot immediately to the west of the Crystal Lake Municipal Complex/City Hall at 110 West Woodstock Street, just west of downtown.  Parking near the assembly point is limited but you may find spaces in the various Metra lots near downtown.

For your convenience, we've arranged a shuttle.  Park at the Lundahl Middle School, 560 Nash Road, which is immediately south of the parade terminus at South Elementary, and our shuttle will run you over to the starting line.  Look for our red minivan, anytime between 10:30am and 12:15pm.  

The main page for the parade has the route and other info.

RSVP, and please reach out to [email protected] or 815-596-0892 if you have questions.

JOIN US AT THE MCHENRY FIESTA DAYS PARADE!

Put on your walking shoes and a smile and let's show we are proud to be a force in McHenry by marching with us at Fiesta Days. 

It's Sunday, July 19th, 2026, and the Democratic Party of McHenry County and all our great candidates and office-holders will be there.

The parade steps off at 1:30pm.  It will be crowded so please arrive by 12:30 or 1 at the latest, and if you wish to help decorate the float, please arrive at 11:30.

The parade steps off from Mill Street and West Crystal Lake Road and terminates at Riverside Drive & Washington Street.  The route is Main Street to Green Street to Pearl Street to Riverside Drive to Washington Street. 

You can park at St. Patrick Catholic Church at 3500 Washington Street, which is near the parade terminus, and from 11:30 to 1pm we'll have a van to shuttle you over to the assembly point.  The last van run will depart the church parking lot at 1pm sharp.  Then after the parade you can ride on our float for the quick hop back to the church.

Here's a map showing the starting point, the terminus, and the parking location at the church.  The blue line is the parade route, and the red line is the shuttle route.

Calling all Democrats! It's that time again - join us at the Fair!

Tuesday August 4th through Sunday August 9th
Volunteers Needed

There's always plenty of fun to be had at our annual extravaganza, the McHenry County Fair, at the fairgrounds in Woodstock.  And there's no better way to have that fun than volunteering for a shift at our Democratic Party booth.  We need at least two and preferably three people for each shift.  We pay for your admission so it's a great way to combine seeing the fair and doing something highly worthwhile.

Setup is on Monday, August 3rd. The fair opens at noon on Tuesday, August 4th.  Opening time on every day thereafter is 10am.  Closing time is 9pm Tuesday through Thursday, 10pm on Saturday and Sunday, and then 8pm on the final day.

Please RSVP and choose your shift.  Tuesday's first shift starts an hour before opening time to allow for last-minute setup, and Sunday's last shift allows an hour after closing for teardown.  If you have any questions at all please contact us at [email protected].

The fairgrounds are at 11900 Country Club Road, on the north side, slightly east of South Eastwood Drive (Route 47).  It can be crowded so please allow half an hour for parking, getting into the fair and then finding us.  We are in building D this year. It's on the south side of the fairgrounds, backing up to Country Club Rd. 

It's really important that we have a good turnout this year.  Many of our most dedicated Democrats found us for the first time at the fair.  And even if you can't volunteer, please plan on dropping by and hanging with us.  Thanks so much and see you there!