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We may have our roots in different countries/cultures, practice different religions, have different skin tones, but one thing we all have in common is our respect for our ancestors, those who have come before us.
The Park District of Highland Park is partnering with the Highland Park Sister Cities Foundation, The Art Center of Highland Park and Working Together to create a community mural. If you would like to participate, please submit a 10 inch x 12 inch drawing depicting ways in which you honor your ancestors.
Select artists will be chosen to paint their pieces with Chicago Muralist, Oscar Romero, at Heller Nature Center during the last week of October. We will have the mural displayed at our Dia De Los Muertos event on Saturday, November 4.
The deadline to submit is September 25, 2023. Submit your art and questions to Jessica Reyes at jreyes@pdhp.org or mail:
Heller Nature Center
2821 Ridge Road
Highland Park, IL 60035
While the big kids are busy at school, we’ve got plenty of opportunities to keep your little ones active and learning this Fall! From creative outlets to outdoor adventures, here’s a list of ideas to fill those precious hours with your tots at the Park District of Highland Park.
Read and walk our featured book along the trails at Heller Nature Center.
Be sure to check out our two newly renovated tot playgrounds at Moroney Park and Sunset Woods Park.
Visit Heller Nature Center and enjoy this unique nature play area.
Enjoy our challenging 18-hole mini golf course. Fun for the whole family.
Did you know we have over 20 miles of walking trails at the Park District? Find a path near you.
Enjoy a picnic at one of our parks! We have over 40 parks to choose from.
Heller Honey is on sale! Grab a jar or 2 at the Recreation Center of Highland Park, Heller Nature Center or Madame Zuzu’s and whip up one of these kid-friendly recipes:
Moroney Park’s Weil Tot Lot is now open for play!
Over the next month, a few finishing touches will take place on and near the playground.
The Park District anticipates the playground may close for a day to complete these finishing touches and an update will be posted on the website prior to the temporary closure.
On Monday, August 21, the Park District of Highland Park hosted a community meeting to share more information about the proposal brought to the Park District by HillCo apartments for consideration to construct a shared parking lot on the Northeast corner of Sunset Woods Park. Feedback collected will be shared with the Park Board of Commissioners. The Park Board will be evaluating an agreement with HillCo on September 13 and 27, and the proposed parking lot will be evaluated by the City of Highland Park Plan and Design Commission on September 5.
Please find takeaways from the meeting below.
The activation of this corner of the park, as proposed by the Sunset Woods Master Plan, has not been approved and the concept has not been further developed. The addition of a garden and new paths is currently an unfunded project. The donation from Hillco would provide the Parks Foundation of Highland Park with $100,000 to go towards development of concept for a park garden and gathering area.
No, the proposed parking lot does not include lighting.
If the project is permitted at the September Planning and Design Commission meeting, the proposed easement agreement would be reviewed and considered for approval by the Park Board on September 13 and September 23, 2023. Park Board Meetings are public and the agendas are posted on the Park District’s website.
The apartment complex is currently using the School District 112 lot for parking and that lot is no longer available for use due to the temporary location of Ravinia School.
Nothing.
Yes, Hillco has an approved plan for a parking lot that would be in front of their building along Park Ave W and would contain 12 parking spaces. See the approved plan here (page 11). Hillco has indicated they will build only one parking lot.
8 spaces.
The parking lot will not impact the McCaffrey Trail.
Yes, the existing path on the Western and Southern edges of the open lawn space will remain.
The proposed parking lot would be about 7,000 square feet, and approximately 4,000 square feet would be located on Park District property.
If the Park District moves forward with activating the Northeast corner of the park, thus creating a destination, ADA Parking spaces would be required for access. The route from the existing ADA parking on Sunset Road to the Northeast corner and proposed park development concept is not ADA compliant.
17 spaces in total, with 2 ADA spaces constructed on the Park District side.
An excessive heat warning has been extended for Lake County through 8pm on Thursday, August 24. Our area is expected to have dangerous conditions with heat indexes of 112 to 118 degrees.
The following facilities will be open, and programs will run as scheduled:
All other outdoor lessons and programs scheduled for Thursday will be moved inside where possible for our residents and staff’s health and safety. Other outdoor programs that cannot be moved indoors may be canceled. Pre-registered program participants will be contacted directly by their program supervisor.
We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and make any necessary adjustments to our operations for the health and safety of our participants and staff. Please check our website and social media for the latest updates.
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. Take extra precautions if you work or spend time outside. When possible, reschedule strenuous activities to early morning or evening. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing when possible. To reduce risk during outdoor work, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments. Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location. Heat stroke is an emergency! Call 9 1 1.
The City of Highland Park partners with the Park District and Public Library in offering cooling centers to community members in need during heat waves. During daytime hours, all are welcome at the following locations during their normal operating hours (click to view):
After-hours cooling centers operate on an ad hoc basis to assist residents during emergencies such as power outages. Information about evening cooling centers will be posted on the City’s website when activated. Please bookmark cityhpil.com/coolingcenters to check to see if after-hours cooling centers have been activated.
For information on how to identify the warning signs of heat-related illness and what to do, go to the Center for Disease Control.
Introducing our newest video series, Wild Insights with Mark Bryant! Join Heller Nature Center’s super-knowledgeable naturalist as he takes on all of nature’s curiosities—from the smallest critter to the tallest tree, no topic is too big or too small!
This week, Mark explores one of nature’s most intriguing and notorious creations–Poison Ivy. What does it look like? How can you avoid it, and what should you do if you come in contact with it?
The Park District of Highland Park is partnering with SaLT: Service and Learning Together and the Highland Park/Highwood Rotary Club to collect pre-packaged food donations to provide groceries to Highland Park and Highwood families facing food insecurities.
About 21.3% of Highland Park/Highwood residents live in poverty, 18% of residents over 60 years qualify for food stamps, and 22% of elementary school students are classified as low-income with many facing food insecurity, together we can make a meaningful impact in our community.
The existing stairs leading to the Moraine Beach boardwalk are scheduled for repair beginning late fall.
Every day, the lake presents itself differently, from the calm blues and greens of a peaceful morning to the vibrant oranges and pinks of a dramatic sunset. This mural celebrates the lake’s majestic sunrises, reminding those who look upon it of the positivity, creativity, and curiosity invoked by Lake Michigan.
Highland Park-based Christie Russert is the artist behind Sunshine Canteen®. Christie’s work uniquely blends abstract patterns and landscapes and reflects her life, travels, and love of design. Her signature style focuses on vibrant colors, bold patterns, and themes of peace, love, and happiness, evoking a sense of freedom, joy, and a gateway to paradise.
The Moraine Park Mural Project is a partnership between the Park District of Highland Park, The Art Center of Highland Park and the North Shore Water Reclamation District. A design competition was held in February 2023, inviting local artists to propose a design to paint the concrete structures at Moraine Beach. Christie, the winning artist, and her husband Joe worked hard throughout the summer to bring her design to life on the NSWRD structures.
In February, the Park District of Highland Park and The Art Center of Highland Park began seeking submissions to decorate the two concrete structures at Moraine Beach. Artists participated in a design competition and submissions were due in March. Submissions were evaluated by a panel of judges who narrowed down the submissions to two finalists. The finalists’ designs were shared with the community through a survey and then shared with the Park District Board of Commissioners who determined the winning design in April. The winning artist began work in June and completed the murals in August, 2023.
The Park District of Highland Park has an opportunity to establish an agreement with HillCo Investment Properties to build a parking lot that would serve Sunset Woods Park users and residents of the neighboring apartments at 700 Park Ave W. The proposed parking lot would cross lot lines and be partially on the North-East section of Sunset Woods Park and partially on HillCo’s property. The Sunset Woods Park Master plan proposes activating the Northeast section of the park with a garden. The intent of the Park District in considering this opportunity is to provide vehicular and ADA access to this section of the park and to provide more parking spaces during events.
The proposal is expected to appear before the Plan and Design Commission in September.
Join us on Monday, August 21 at 6pm to learn more about the proposed project and share your feedback.
Date: Monday, August 21, 2023
Time: 6pm
Location: West Ridge Center (636 Ridge Rd., Highland Park, IL 60035)
