Cantigny to host holiday poinsettia display Nov. 19
The Cantigny horticulture department will host its annual Shades of Crimson Poinsettia Display on Friday, Nov. 19. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for this popular holiday event at the park's greenhouse. Admission is free.
Guest parking ($5) is in the main lot, outside the Cantigny Visitors Center, 1S151 Winfield Road, Wheaton. From there, visitors can walk to the greenhouse or ride a festive trolley.
Guests will see 16 varieties of poinsettias in full bloom and about 3,000 plants in all. Tours are self-guided and photography is welcome. Horticulture staff members will be on hand to discuss the plants and answer questions. Poinsettias in five sizes will be specially priced for sale.
Cantigny's poinsettias arrive as three-inch-long cuttings, then are carefully nurtured and groomed for about six months. Water, fertilizer, light and temperature are each regulated to achieve the spectacular results that visitors will see at the greenhouse.
Nearly half of the poinsettias go to the Wheaton A.M. Rotary Club which uses them to raise money for its community projects. Another 300 plants will add colorful holiday cheer to buildings throughout the 500-acre Cantigny estate.
After "Shades of Crimson," sales to the public will continue at the Cantigny Shop in the Visitors Center and the Cantigny Golf Shop at regular prices. Unsold plants are donated to local nursing homes and care centers.
Also on Nov. 19, visitors are invited to shop for unique holiday gifts from local artists and crafters at Cantigny's annual Mistletoe Market, in the Visitors Center from 1 to 7 p.m.
Forty-four vendors are participating.
For everyone's safety, face coverings are required inside Cantigny buildings and on the trolley. In the greenhouse, the number of people in the poinsettia sales area will be closely monitored, and plants will be pre-packaged to maintain customer flow and social distancing.
Cantigny Park is open daily in November and December from 9 am to sunset. More information is online at Cantigny.org, including a full calendar of seasonal events.
Cantigny Park, part of the Chicago-based Robert R. McCormick Foundation, is the 500-acre Wheaton (IL) estate of Robert R. McCormick (1880-1955), long-time editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. It is home to the McCormick House, First Division Museum, display gardens, picnic grounds, walking trails, and a Visitors Center with a gift shop, theater, and food options. Hours, directions, and upcoming events are posted online at Cantigny.org.