Who doesn’t love a parade? But, if you were looking forward to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in McHenry, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until next year. They won’t turn the Fox River green and the McHenry Shamrocks won’t be dancing, not in the parade, anyhow.

McHenry’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is another victim of the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean you can’t show your Irish pride, whether you’re Irish or not.

You can start with a little wearing of the green. Get a four-leaf-clover pin for your lapel. Or you can go all out with a green sweater, a green hat … Green pants? Well, that may be going too far (it’s your call).

You can also face-paint some clovers on your cheeks … mmm? Or you may want to ask someone else to do the painting.

You can also dress up your car, truck or SUV for the occasion. You can get some stick-on clover stickers. Or, how about a leprechaun and a pot of gold? You can put a Happy St. Patrick’s Day bumper sticker on the back of your car. Or you can get creative and come up with your own decorations.

The point is that you don’t have to let the holiday slip by even if we are still dealing with degrees of the lockdown. 

Speaking of the lockdown, things are opening up a bit. There’s no reason you can’t partake of one of the holiday traditions by heading out for a traditional corned beef dinner at one of McHenry’s superb eateries. Here are some of the diners offering St. Patty’s fare in McHenry for you to consider:

• UpRooted (2816 W. IL- Rt. 120 east of the bridge)
• The Snuggery (801 N River Rd)
• Kief’s Reef (3505 S Wright Rd, north of Rt. 176 by the Fox River)
• The Village Square (4512 W. Elm)
• Vickie’s Place (1211 N River Rd. by the old Bridge by the Fox)
• McHenry VFW (3002 IL Rt. 120 east of the Fox)
• Bulldog Ale House (1501 Rt. 31 by Hampton Inn)
• Applebee’s (1700 N Richmond Rd)
• D.C. Cobbs McHenry (1204 N Green St)
• Epic Deli (2616 Schaid Ct)
• Addison’s Steakhouse (335 Front St. [Rt. 31])

These are some of the options available to you (be sure to call first before dropping in to check on availability and seating).

The point is that you can still enjoy a St. Patrick’s Day holiday to remember, even in the Age of the Lockdown.

One additional word of caution: If you plan to imbibe, you should have a designated driver of call for a cab, Uber, Lyft, or a limo. An accident and/or DUI is no way to celebrate the occasion. Otherwise, may a wee bit of the luck of the blarney stone go with you this St. Patrick’s Day in McHenry.