Vernon Hills embarks on a new holiday tradition
A long-standing holiday tradition in Vernon Hills has ended, but village officials hope to spread the cheer from the now-defunct holiday light show throughout town.
The annual Winter Wonderland show through the woods of the former Cuneo estate ended last year after 21 seasons, but many of the hundreds of cutout characters and illuminated displays will be positioned in locations in the village. The familiar scenes will be supplemented with new decorations on various buildings and properties.
Village trustees have authorized $35,000 for supplies, such as large illuminated snowflakes and electrical upgrades at buildings, to implement the initiative.
“I wish we could find a place to do it, but there's no place to put together what we had in the past,” said village Trustee Thom Koch. “I think a lot of people are going to miss it.”
Considered one of the largest drive-through shows of its kind in northern Illinois, Winter Wonderland annually attracted about 20,000 vehicles during its run from about Thanksgiving to the beginning of the new year. The property was donated to Loyola University Chicago in 2010, and the school plans to sell the land for a single-family home development.
That left the village with an estimated 500 cutout characters and lighted displays that had been stored during the offseason in four shipping containers on the property. That agreement ended and the materials are at the village's public works facility awaiting new destinations.
Any charitable organizations interested in any plywood cutouts have contacted the village and will get them free. Officials have been in touch with local businesses and other entities, such as the Vernon Hills Park District, to determine interest in the remaining stock.
“The illuminated ones, we're taking offers on,” said David Brown, village engineer and public works director. “The nice thing about the former site was everything was stored right there and it was a short haul to set them up.”
All village buildings and the Metra commuter station will be decorated, and Brown said he expects displays of some sort at about a dozen nonmunicipal locations.
Brown said the approved funding transfer for the supplies was available as a result of savings from a project to stabilize the banks of some water features at the Arbortheater. He said the staff has tried to visualize how various elements, including an animated golfer, will look in different locations.
“For me, one of the best parts will be putting the golf guy down at the (Vernon Hills municipal) golf course,” Koch said. The first tee fronts busy Route 45.
Set up is scheduled to begin Nov. 1, with completion targeted for Thanksgiving, Brown said.