Hanging holiday lights in Libertyville is a cold job
The temperatures were in the teens Monday morning when Libertyville Parks Division employees started hanging holiday lights on the Christmas tree at Cook Memorial Park.
Park crews and arborists were dressed in heavy coats, gloves and hats as they carefully draped strings of lights on the branches of the tree and fixed burned-out lights.
"It's cold, but this is the time that we have to do it," Supervisor David Thornborough said. "It usually takes a day and a half to put up the lights. It is going slower because everything is brittle in this weather."
When it is finished, the tree will be aglow with more than 25,000 lights.
The Libertyville tree-lighting ceremony is Friday, Nov. 28, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Santa Claus will arrive at 7 p.m. on a fire truck to light the tree and greet families and children.
After the lighting, tours will be given of the Ansel B. Cook Mansion, and downtown merchants are offering extended hours for evening shopping around the village.