Mount Prospect to host holiday tree lighting

Mount Prospect will attempt to give the holiday season a festive start when it hosts a holiday tree-lighting ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 26.

The event is designed to provide residents with an opportunity to gather together during the holidays, and serve as a replacement for the community’s annual winter festival parade that was canceled after 2008 for economic reasons.

“The holidays are a nice time of year for the community to get together, so we wanted to sponsor an event in that spirit,” said village spokeswoman Maura El Metennani. “In light of the times, the tree-lighting is a smaller kind of event, but it will be a festive one.”

Organizers hope the tree-lighting also will get residents to spend some time, and a few dollars, in the downtown area. The village is sponsoring the tree lighting with the Mount Prospect Chamber of Commerce and the Mount Prospect Downtown Merchants Association.

“We’re encouraging people to come down for the tree-lighting, then pop into a restaurant downtown to have dinner with the family,” said Katie Dolan Dix, co-owner of Capannari Ice Cream and president of the Downtown Merchants Association. “The downtown is a key part of our community, so we want to bring people in.”

The tree lighting will take place at 5 p.m. outside Village Hall, 50 S. Emerson St. As part of the event, the Madrigal Singers of Prospect High School will perform, and the Mount Prospect Lions Club will be serving hot cocoa. Central Continental Bakery has donated cookies for the event.

For more information, go to experiencemountprospect.org.