A crowd of more than 100 helped to officially kick off the holiday season in Franklin Park, gathering at the Hammill Square gazebo to welcome Santa to towns, light the village’s holiday tree and more during the annual Winterfest family event.
Carols were sang and families could make festive donuts — that smeared many lips red or green.
“I love seeing our community come together for some great family fun,” mayor Barrett Pedersen said in a statement sent to Pioneer Press following the Nov. 30 event.
The tree lighting tradition has been ongoing for decades but new this year was a photo booth, according to the village Director of Health and Human Resources Lisa Anthony, who organized the event. When people weren’t in line for Santa, they were in line at the photo booth.
This year’s Christmas tree, donated by Two Js Industries and longtime village resident Scott Shannon, will remain lit until the end of the year, according to village officials.
John Arango, 38, of Franklin Park, has been a resident of the village for 15 years and his family comes “every year” to WinterFest, he said.
An elf in a festive green suit helped take several pictures of the Arango family — including John, his wife and two kids, and her two sisters with their kids and dog — with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
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“We love Santa,” John Arango said, laughing.
Earlier that evening, the Arango group was outside by the gazebo to welcome Santa’s arrival, not on a reindeer sleigh but in a firefighter truck.
As the eldest child of the group, Emmanuel Arango, 12, scoffed when asked what he planned to ask Santa for this year. The tween said he doesn’t believe in Santa. But his little brother and cousins do. When Santa arrived, 4-year-old Catalina Garza ribbed her cousin, 5-year-old Thiago Arango, and whispered-yelled: “See. I told you Santa was real.”
Like the Arangos, the Furlans, of Franklin Park also attend WinterFest every year.
“We love this event for the neighborhood,” said Hector Furlan, 39, who attended this year with his wife and their two children, Alonso and Alessandra.
Stephanie Ramey, 36, of Lockport, brought her three kids and their cousins and friends for the first time to the event. They came after hearing about the tree lighting ceremony from her husband, Dan, a Franklin Park firefighter.
Dylan Ramey, 7, planned to ask for a remote-control car for Christmas.
“I think I’ve been good [this year],” he said.
But 2-year-old Mateo Camargo wasn’t so sure about Santa. A nice elf lady had to hold his hand and cajole him to take pictures with his cousins and friends, and the scary man with the fluffy white beard in a big red suit.
After a couple of minutes of coaxing, the toddler finally accepted Santa’s hand, though he stood as far from the jolly man as his little arm would allow .
Unlike Mateo, however, Jaylani Mercado, 5, “loves Santa,” according to her mom, Annette Mercado, 40.
The girl immediately hopped up on Santa’s lap for pictures before shyly whispering to him: “Merry Christmas.”
Christine Won is a freelancer.