2016 NORTHFIELD HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: LIGHTS AND FAMILY FUN! 

A jam-packed afternoon awaits Northfield residents at the first annual Northfield Holiday Festival: Holiday Lights and Family Fun on Sunday afternoon, Dec. 4.

Centered in Northfield Village Hall at the corner of Happ and Willow Roads, the program features a full range of holiday activities to appeal to families, from horse-drawn sleigh rides to crafts. Come hear music from the New Trier Jazz Ensemble and the North Shore Music Institute and enjoy stories as told by the award-winning Storybook Mom. Coffee, hot chocolate and cookies will be served, and Hofherr Meat Co. will offer an array of seasonal sausages for sale.

The afternoon festivities end with a tree-lighting ceremony, accompanied by local carolers, at the Village’s own beautiful spruce tree. The Festival is presented by Northfield Now!, The Village of Northfield, the Northfield Park District, the Winnetka-Northfield Public Library District and the Winnetka-Northfield Chamber of Commerce, whose Red Invitation holiday sale is that afternoon.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Northfield Now! to the community and sponsor a program that all our families can enjoy,” said Village President Fred Gougler. “Come have a glass of hot chocolate and sing holiday songs with a professional singer from the North Shore Music Institute.”

The schedule of events includes a craft activity sponsored by the Winnetka-Northfield Library District, music from Sunset Ridge carolers and a photo opportunity with Santa. Hofherr Meat Co. will set up a grilling station on Walnut Avenue, coffee is being provided by Starbucks, and Hot Chocolate by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Inside Village Hall, The Storybook Mom, Nili Yelin, will delight small children with her stories that will captivate everyone else, as well. The Northfield Community Nursery singers will offer holiday themed music, and the Lehman School of Dance will put on a dance performance.

Volunteer support is being provided by our local Boy Scouts and Girl Scout troops. The Boy Scouts ask participants to bring non-perishable canned goods for donation to the Northfield Township Food Pantry.

Our business sponsors are: Children’s Gift Shop, Diamond Residential Mortgage, Enaz, Hofherr Meat Co., Life Storage, formerly Uncle Bob’s, Northfield Community Nursery School, Northfield Village Square, Peachtree Place, PNS Noodles, Northview Bank, Raynor Door Co. and Teddie Kossof Salon Spa.

Northfield Now! is a community-based volunteer organization whose overarching goal is to put the Village of Northfield on the regional map. We work on projects and plan events to delight our residents and provide greater visibility for our Village as a friendly, convenient, distinctive and increasingly walkable place to dine, shop and live.

Festival parking is available at the municipal parking lot off Orchard Road, west of Happ, across from the Library.

Schedule of Events:
3 - 5 p.m. Hot chocolate/coffee, cookies, crafts, Hofherr Meat grilling an array of seasonal sausages (on Walnut Avenue)
3 - 4:45 Crafts for kids, large conference room, photo ops with Santa, atrium
3 - 3:15 Northfield Community Nursery Singers, atrium
3:15 - 4:45 Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride on Walnut
3:15 - 3:45 Trio from the New Trier Jazz Ensemble, atrium
3:15 - 4:30 The Storybook Mom, the board room
3:45- 4:45 Rachel Thomas, North Shore Music Institute, singalong in atrium
4:30-4:45 Lehman School of Dance Performance, board room
4:45 - 5 Carolers out to tree lighting

Everything is free except for the Hofherr Meat concession.