Cicada mania: McHenry County shops and artists embrace the craze

While there haven’t been too many large-scale cicada sightings in McHeny County thus far, some local artists and bakers have gotten creative with the cicada craze.

Many of the cicada sightings reported to the McHenry County Conservation District as of Friday afternoon are clustered in the eastern and northeastern portions of the county.

[ Photos: A look at cicada-inspired treats and merchandise ]

But you can also spot the red-eyed insects – or at least various likenesses – at local businesses and in locations.

Konrad’s Bakery in Lake in the Hills unveiled cicada-themed sugar cookies earlier this week, complementing other seasonally themed desserts including watermelon and orange sliced sugar cookies.

Owner Beata Kochmanski said the idea for the cookies came from a customer who asked if the bakery would be offering cicada-themed. Kochmanski said the bakery’s cake decorator, Abby Piemonte, is making the bug-inspired treats.

She added that she had seen cicada stories from throughout the Chicago area, but unlike some other cicada culinary offerings, the cicada cookies don’t contain any of the bugs.

It’s been a warm reception for the treats. People “get a kick out of it,” Kochmanski said.

Konrad’s Bakery is located at 9531 Ackman Road, Lake in the Hills. The cookies are $4.50.

Mama Bear Macarons, a home kitchen also based out of the Lake in the Hills area that sells macarons at The Dole Mansion Farmer’s Market in Crystal Lake, will be offering a cicada-themed macaron.

Christine Rausch, the owner of the macaron company, said her daughter came up with the idea.

“It could be fun for adults” and kids, Rausch said of the treats. She added the cookies have a “crunch” and a goo, kind of like the sensation people eating bugs might experience, but the cookies don’t contain real cicadas.

It’s not the first pop culture phenomenon to inspire her work. Rausch last summer embraced the “Barbie” movie theme, offering a variety of flavored pink macarons and having a “Bearbie” theme in honor of the Barbie movie’s release when it came out last July.

So far this year, Rausch hasn’t yet sold any cicada treats, but plans to offer them at the farmer’s market, which is due to open Sunday, June 2, after last week’s planned seasonal debut was postponed because of bad weather. She said she’ll offer them as long as the cicadas are out, but procrastinators need not worry as she does custom orders.

She’s given them out to friends, neighbors and coworkers so far. “If they like macarons, they like it,” Rausch said.

Local artists have also found inspiration in the bugs. Tammy Maher of Cary started an Etsy shop as a retirement hobby, making 20-ounce tumblers and mugs.

When the solar eclipse happened in April, Maher said she was inspired by the themed merchandise and “thought I would add in the cicadas.”

While she said she hasn’t heard the cicadas in Cary, she said she did see them on the ground while golfing in Bull Valley.

Her shop currently carries a tote bag that reads, “Survived the solar eclipse and cicadas,” and two golf towels with cicada designs.

Janell Mayer has a space inside Artisans on Main in Woodstock.

She’s been making clay cicadas this spring, but said she keeps selling out of them.

“Every season, I’m trying to come up with something,” Mayer said. She intends to keep making them through July.

She said ceramics is something she does on the side and has been taking evening classes on the subject for seven years. But she’s found inspiration in the insects and has plans to “goof around with other” insects and bugs in the future following the cicadas.

“It’s going to grow,” Mayer said.

Also in Woodstock, a statue of Woodstock Willie, the furry prognosticator of seasons and a city mascot of sorts, stands by the front desk in City Hall and wears a red, white and blue bow tie. Officials recently jumped on the cicada bandwagon and hung a string of cicadas on the statue.

“The residents love it,” Danille Tegtman, a city office assistant, said.