Local cuisine

Crystal Lake is a haven for anyone who takes fresh food seriously. From the annual Johnny Appleseed Festival, with its apple pie eating contest, to the Downtown Crystal Lake Farmers' Market – just voted "Best Farmers Market" in McHenry County by readers of the Northwest Herald. It features a bounty of fresh fruits, vegetables, annuals, perennials, farm-fresh eggs, baked goods. Here residents enjoy easy access to fresh food and the enthusiasts who grow it.

A little closer to home – right in the back yard, in fact – residents of The Fountains at Crystal Lake maintain a four-acre garden for vegetables and herbs, where everyone can foster their green thumb and enjoy the fresh fruits of their labors.