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Prospect Heights lights up its tree to brighten a damp night

Posted November 30, 2019 12:00 am

By Mark Welsh

Prospect Heights Mayor Nicholas Helmer throws the switch to light the town's tree and brighten the mood on a cold damp rainy Saturday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Santa hats, hot chocolate and a chill in the air, soon it would be time for St. Nicholas to appear, and he did at the annual Prospect Heights Tree Lighting on Saturday.

More than a hundred people greeted Santa in damp rainy conditions. Arissa Khoja of Prospect Heights found that marshmallows in her hot chocolate were all that she needed to beat the weather and tell Santa to bring her a hoverboard on Christmas morning.

"This is a great ceremony, a little rain, a little coolness and a lot of little kids, and it's a beautiful night," said Mayor Nicholas Helmer after flipping the switch to light up the dreary sky with Christmas tree lights.

Maya Petryniec, 9, of Prospect Heights, who was lending her voice to sing Christmas carols in the choir, summed up what Christmas means to her in one word: "Family."

Mikayla Mabry, 6, of Prospect Heights has a one-on-one with Santa after he arrived at Prospect Heights' annual tree lighting Saturday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Marshmallows and hot chocolate kept Arissa Khoja of Prospect Heights warm on a cold, damp, rainy Saturday night at Prospect Heights' annual tree lighting. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive at the Prospect Heights annual tree lighting. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com

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