Vernon Hills expands holiday light tradition
Public works crews in Vernon Hills took advantage of springlike conditions Friday to install some of the displays associated with the winter holidays as the village works to expand a new vision.
Two years removed from the demise of the long-running and popular drive-through light show on the grounds of the Cuneo mansion, the village has been updating and upgrading its collection of decorations and spreading the attractions to key locations.
This season, village trustees authorized spending $26,000 for 51 light pole wreaths (15 lit) and four new light displays - a railroad crossing sign, startled deer, a toy ball and a toy drum - to add to the 178 leftover light show displays that will be popping up.
The concentration will be on entryways and public buildings, but Vernon Hills also has eight business partners, such as Rustoleum located at a prime spot on Route 60, where the displays will be installed.
"Those are the types of partnerships we're trying to engage," said David Brown, village engineer and public works director. "The major focus for us is to decorate our buildings and add more depth."
For 21 seasons, the Winter Wonderland light show attracted about 20,000 vehicles each year from Thanksgiving to New Year and was considered one of the largest drive-through suburban shows of its kind. The last run was 2014.
The property was donated to Loyola University Chicago in 2010, and the school plans to sell a portion of the Cuneo property to Pulte Homes to build a private, gated subdivision of 128 homes.
Many of the wooden cutout characters and other displays were sold as surplus. Lake Villa, for example, just acquired some and, though too late for a full display, was able to install three at Lehmann Park in time for the holiday parade and tree-lighting ceremony. In coming years, those and others likely will be used at the Lehmann Mansion as well, according to Village Administrator Karl Warwick.
In Vernon Hills, trustees last year authorized $35,000 for supplies, such as large illuminated snowflakes and electrical upgrades at buildings, to implement the initiative.
"It's working out. Very much so," said Trustee Jim Schultz.
At times, there were difficulties with the old incandescent lights, Brown said, which were susceptible to outages because of melting snow. By the end of next year, all the lights in displays and elsewhere will have been replaced with more efficient LED types, which don't generate as much heat and aren't affected as much by moisture, he added.
"We received a lot of positive input on last year's program," Brown said. "This year, we're continuing to expand our new vision."
All village buildings and the Metra commuter station will be decorated, and displays are planned at about a dozen nonmunicipal locations.