Picture-perfect picnic

Despite forecasts of rain, Mother Nature brought the sun for Picnic in the Park in Arlington Heights this month.

The eighth annual picnic offered music, a large inflatable slide, a balloon artist, a face painter and an arts and crafts tent at North School Park, 410 N. Arlington Heights Road.

The 1.65-acre park also includes a playground, with brick walkways throughout the park and around its Memorial Fountain.

Ornamental trees and landscaped gardens surround the park, but there remains plenty of green space for picnic blankets.

It started with a simple idea, when Arlington Heights Park District officials organized a picnic to celebrate one of their anniversary milestones. However it developed into one of the park district's signature events.

Officials said last year was the biggest picnic to date, drawing nearly 3,000 people, after roughly 2,500 the year before.