Highland Park's 'Light Up The Night' Kicks Off Holiday Season

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The city's sesquicentennial holiday season starts in earnest Saturday with Highland Park's holiday tree lighting and light show. The commemorative "HP150 Light Up the Night" event will conclude with a dynamic light show featuring music and fog machines at Port Clinton Square, city staff announced.

Planned events begin at 1 p.m. with the Sugar Plum Shopping Spree, offering refreshments, activities and treats at participating downtown businesses and carriage rides courtesy of Highland Park Bank. Santa is due to arrive at Port Clinton Square at 2:45 p.m., followed by live reindeer, music, a raffle and more.

Downtown businesses will display their recently decorated storefronts as the city flips the switch to light up more than 200 decorated trees.

The planned holiday light show will feature "super bright beams of color, patters and texture along with infinite color mixing light washes," which will be coordinated with music to create a "dynamic effect."

A fog machine will shoot streams of fog 20 feet into the air, and images will be projected on the sky, the ground, surrounding buildings and the crown, according to an announcement from the city.

Entertainment will also be provided by groups from Lake Forest Country Day School, Performers School and Ballet Makkai.

The annual event, formerly known as the Holiday Tree Lighting, signals the start of special holiday parking rules in downtown Highland Park. There will be extended parking hours in public parking lots until Dec. 21, although rules for on-street parking will continue to be enforced.

Attendees can also give back to those in need with the help of local charitable and governmental organizations:

Zac's Zoo was founded in memory of Highland Park resident Zac Cohen, who started collecting stuffed animals for first responders to give to children in crisis when he was 7. Cohen's family is continuing his legacy following his death at the age of 20.

The Moraine Township Food Pantry is collecting donations of sealed, non-expired food and toiletries for local families and individuals in need. Township officials said cereal, coffee, hot chocolate, rice, tea and cleaning supplies were the most needed items.

Schedule of Nov. 16, 2019 HP150 Light Up The Night:

• 1 p.m. — Sugar Plum Shopping Spree, Carriage Rides Begin
• 2:45 p.m. — Santa Arrives at Port Clinton Square
• 3 to 4:45 p.m. — Santa, Reindeers, Entertainment, and Family-Friendly Activities at Port Clinton Square
• 3:30 to 5 p.m. — Ballet Makkai performs Nutcracker excerpts at Uncle Dan's and characters at Sprout Kids
• 4:45 p.m. — Tree Lighting and Countdown to Light Show with Mayor Nancy Rotering