On the same night that the City of Chicago held its 103rd tree lighting ceremony at Millennium Park, the Hampshire Township Park District and the Village of Hampshire presented on a smaller scale the village’s first tree lighting at Ralph Seyller Memorial Park, 400 E. Jefferson Avenue.
While Chicago annually accepts a donated tree, such as this year’s 69-foot Norway Spruce from a family in Wauconda, the Hampshire Park District planted a fir tree near the pavilion and illuminated it.
“We had 65 kids signed up for the tree lighting,” said Laura Schraw, the district’s executive director. “That’s not counting the parents and grandparents who also attended. We had cookies and hot chocolate, carolers, a snowman craft and the chance for children to visit Santa.”
Bennett Tiffany of Hampshire celebrated his third birthday at the event with his parents and siblings Kellen, Maren and Vivianne.
Denise Moran is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.