Arlington High grads invited to return home

All Arlington High School alumni are invited to an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the former Arlington High School building, now Christian Liberty Academy, 502 Euclid Ave. in Arlington Heights.

The nostalgic trip home will feature an alumni band, The Cardinals, playing hits from the 1960s through 1984 to commemorate the year Arlington closed its doors.

The event will take the form of a high school homecoming, with plans in the works for a basketball scrimmage and opportunities to don the traditional Arlington "war paint" (face paint) and decorate a large chicken wire with tissue paper, reminiscent of the homecoming parade floats.

Memorabilia, including yearbooks through the decades, will be on display; select classrooms will be open for viewing and photographs; and a photo booth with Arlington props will be available.

Additionally, Arlington alumni will be recognizing fellow Cardinals who have served their community and their country beginning at 10 a.m.

Arlington T-shirts will be available for sale and refreshments will include cookies created by Elk Grove High School culinary students using an original chocolate chip recipe from the Arlington High School cafeteria. Additional concessions also will be available.

Tickets are free, but advance registration is encouraged. To register, visit www.d214.org/alumni.

Arlington High School, the first school built in Northwest Suburban High School District 214, closed in 1984 amid sinking District 214 enrollment.

The homecoming event is led by the District 214 Alumni Advisory Council, which works to advance alumni engagement across the district. Money raised will benefit the District 214 Education Foundation, which supports student success, innovation and lifelong learning across District 214.