Fun, Food, and Music at the Crystal Lake Home and Business Expo
Last Saturday May 22, 2021, The Heathers team attended the 2021 Crystal Lake Home and Business Expo. To accommodate everyone, the event was held outside for the first time, in the Twin Ponds Parking lot by OfficeMax and Home Depot in the beautiful sunshine. Taking place from 10 am to 4 pm, the event was a chance for community members to engage with local businesses who could promote and discuss the services they provide.
Read below to check out some highlights from the day:
- Multiple talented musical groups showcased their talent in the community tent. Performers included Crystal Lake Strikers Drumline, CLCHS Madrigal and Choir, Lifting Spirits thru Music-Piano Trends Music Company, and Voices in Harmony. My personal favorite was hearing a rousing Pirates of The Caribbean piece and then an improvised Christmas song riff-off.
-Adults and children alike had fun getting to sit and pose for photos in a working police cruiser from the Crystal Lake Police Department.
-Several groups of young children got to showcase their abilities; Crystal Lake Gymnastics Training Center students performed a series of cartwheels and flips while Lee’s Martial Arts demonstrated some of their forms. It was great to see children so lively and talented.
-@stixandnoodles joined the fun with their tasty treats. They feature Fillipino meals all cooked right there in their rocking orange truck. I can personally say their Lumpia with sweet and sour sauce was delicious.
-@joesdoughandco provided a sweet dessert with their handmade mini doughnuts and coffee. I was quite partial to their cinnamon sugar doughnuts.
-Lots of the different businesses’ booths had freebies and swag for all. Some offered door prizes while others had raffles or a wheel to spin for prizes. Countryside Nursery even had a lovely selection of flowers for those interested in practicing their green thumb. I was lucky enough to be given some beautiful begonias to take home and plant.Our contribution was some fashionable face masks for everyone to wear.
At The Heathers booth, Director of Community Development, Kyle Garifo, enjoyed visiting with guests and the other businesses. Mr. Garifo remarks that experiences like this are "important as we get to meet the people who put so much work into [local businesses] and how we can all benefit and help each other be successful." As for CEO Larry Garifo, his favorite part of the event was "hearing [guests'] current situations and talking about how we might be able to assist them or a loved one." All in all, the Home and Business Expo was a great event for everyone involved and we look forward to future events where the community can all come together.
