About 500 people enjoy Illuminate Northbrook Hot Cocoa Stroll

Northbrook officials estimated that 500 people attended the third annual Illuminate Northbrook Hot Cocoa Stroll on Friday, Nov. 17 at Village Green Park in downtown Northbrook.

Hot chocolate, all 70 gallons of it, was a big draw to Village Green Park and beverage supplies ran out. Ron Bernardi of Northbrook Sunset Foods helped to staff the grocery store’s popular red trolley and distributed 500 bags of free popcorn.

Bernardi told a story of something that had just happened.

“There were two girls taking a picture,” Bernardi said. “And they’re over there, they’re clicking a picture and I said, ‘This is like a Hallmark movie,’ and she goes, ‘Oh! You’re kidding! Look at the picture I took.’

“And then she says, ‘This is like a Hallmark movie,’ and she did a little caption underneath (referencing Hallmark).”

About Illuminate Northbrook, “This is cool,” Bernardi said. “The community comes out.

“It’s the holiday time,” Bernardi said with a smile.

The event began at 5:30 p.m. and people could enjoy the complimentary hot chocolate provided by the Rotary Club of Northbrook. Some brought coats to donate to the Rotary Club’s annual Coat Off Your Back drive and 400 coats were collected.

Coat donors received a free collectible Illuminate Northbrook ceramic mug. This year’s collection campaign provided coats for refugee families.

“I think this is a great event,” said Jim Kucienski of Lincolnwood, retired school superintendent of Northbrook School District 28 and a Rotary Club of Northbrook Rotarian.

Kucienski said that one person can make a difference by donating, “one coat for one person.”

Rick Rosenfeld of Northbrook, a member of Rotary Club of Glenview-Sunrise, and coordinator of the coat drive, said four local Rotary Clubs took part in the coat drive, including the Rotary Club of Northbrook, the Rotary Club of Glenview-Sunrise, the Rotary Club of Deerfield and the Rotary Club of Glenview.

“There’s always a need for coats,” Rosenfeld said. “There’s so many people in need.”

The lights in the park were illuminated with a grand countdown shortly after 6 p.m. with the guidance of Northbrook Village President Kathryn L. Ciesla. On a crisp evening, oversized snowflakes glowed and a tunnel along a pathway inside the park became lighted holiday decorations.

“This is the most crowded it’s ever been,” Ciesla said about the event. “Last year was really cold, the first year was really well attended, but this year, super.”

Ciesla said that, “people were calling Village Hall asking what time it was, what to do, so it was very cool.”

Kathi Quinn, Northbrook Chamber of Commerce executive director, said, “I think it’s a great event to build community because it brings all the families out, which is a lot of fun.”

People of all ages took advantage of novelty kaleidoscope eyeglasses that read, “See a gift in every point ot light!” Evy Miller of Northbrook had a pair of glasses to see the lights twinkle.

“There’s a lot of darkness and we need light,” Miller said. “I personally celebrate the Festival of Lights (Hanukkah) so it’s all about light.”

Something More, Northbrook School District 28’s children’s choir, performed under the direction of Jeremy Bartunek, general music teacher at Greenbriar School in Northbrook and children’s choir director.

“Singing brings people together,” Bartunek said. “It’s the ultimate way that we come together as people, as cultures, it crosses boundaries, it crosses borders.

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“It’s so important to get music out of the school building into our local communities so we can see our civic impact,” Bartunek said.

The impact of the moment was evident for Connor Lang, 3, of Northbrook.

Connor stood almost frozen in front of the three large illuminated snowflakes installed in the fountain section at the plaza corner at Shermer and Meadow roads. Connor was here with family including parents Kevin and Meghan Lang plus sibling McKenzie, 6, a first-grader.

Connor stared at the snowflakes and seemed enchanted by the sounds and sights of the season.

“We’ve come every year (to Illuminate Northbrook) but this year, he said the snowflakes have been his favorite,” said Connor’s mother Meghan.

To the Village of Northbrook about continuing Illuminate Northbrook as a holiday community event, “We just love it so much,” Meghan Lang said. “We love to walk up, we have our hot chocolate and our popcorn.

“It’s part of our tradition now.”

Karie Angell Luc is a freelancer for Pioneer Press.