A day-long celebration in the holiday spirit will be hosted by the Lake Bluff Downtown Merchants, Village of Lake Bluff and the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce.
Lake Bluff, the “North Pole of the North Shore,” will kick off the holiday season on Dec. 7 with a full day of activities downtown. Entitled “It’s a Wonderful Life … in Lake Bluff,” Saturday’s activities will start at 9:30 a.m. when the downtown will come alive with the sights, sounds and tastes of the season along with in-store promotions, drawings and gift ideas for all ages.
The culmination of the day’s events will be the ceremonial lighting of the town’s gazebo on the Village Green sponsored by Kinnucan Company with community caroling led by a group from Lake Bluff Middle School.
Other highlights of the day include a visit with live reindeer on the Village Green, kids' activities at Baytree National Bank, the Buckthorns entertaining at Inovasi, roasted chestnuts served at Scranton Alley, and the ever-popular carriage rides offered by Lake Forest Bank & Trust.
Visitors will also enjoy the festive storefront decorations, seasonal banners on the light poles featuring vintage photos designed by Lake Bluff resident Lynne Grenier, and the beautiful displays of lights, bows and greenery provided for the 43rd year by the Lake Bluff Garden Club.
Full schedule for the day:
All day
- Businesses open for holiday shopping
- "Baby, it's cold outside Hot Cider" at Twenty East Cafe & Bar
10 a.m. - noon: Holiday Story time with the Library Elf at the Lake Bluff Library
10 a.m.-3 p.m.: Jenny Ratcliffe trunk show at Peg Ann Kompany
Noon-2 p.m.: Visit with Santa at the Lake Bluff History Museum
Noon-3 p.m.: Horse-drawn carriage rides courtesy of Lake Forest Bank & Trust
Noon-3 p.m.: Roasted chestnuts at the Scranton Alley
2-4 p.m.: Holiday face painting (up to age 8) at Clockworks
3-5 p.m.: Live reindeer and their elves on the Village Green
3:30-4:30 p.m.: The Buckthorns perform seasonal favorites ending at Inovasi
4 p.m.: Drawing for a big, stuffed Frosty the Snowman at Voila!
5 p.m. Gazebo lighting celebration on the Green sponsored by Kinnucan Co. featuring singers from Lake Bluff Middle School.
Shoppers are reminded to save their receipts throughout the month of December to enter the LF/B Chamber of Commerce "Shop Local First" drawing to win $1,000 in ChamberChecks. Receive one entry for every $250 in receipts for retail or food purchases in Lake Forest and Lake Bluff. The drawing will be held Jan. 5.
For details about the "Shop Local First" drawing and additional information about the “It’s a Wonderful Life” visit the Chamber of Commerce website or call (847) 234-4282.
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