Norridge kicks off holidays with festive tree lighting

Norridge families came out in force Saturday for the village’s tree lighting and Santa’s debut for the season.

A larger-than-expected crowd of about 500 joined the festivities, said Mayor Daniel Tannhauser.

“We did most of the event outside, and the weather was pretty good,” he said. “We started out the holiday season well.”

While the village had enough hot cocoa and cookies on hand to cover the large crowd, Tannhauser said it typically has leftovers—but this year it did not.

Families formed a long line to have children visit with Santa, and some waited nearly an hour and a half, Tannhauser said. The village handed out about 220 bags of small toys and items to children who greeted the North Pole visitor, and also distributed glow necklaces. Kids could also get their faces painted, and the village collected Toys for Tots and food for the Salvation Army Food Drive.

“It was a great way to bring a lot of our community together in one place,” said Village Trustee Jack Bielak.

He credited the village’s staff for orchestrating the event smoothly, and praised the police department in particular for ensuring safety in the wake of the tragedy in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in which a driver plowed into a Christmas parade.