OP_120816

8 | December 8, 2016 | The orland park prairie News
opprairie.com
Orland Park kicks off holiday season with annual event
Jason Maholy
Freelance Reporter
Santa Claus showed up at
the Orland Park Civic Center
late in the afternoon of
the final Sunday in November,
and with the jolly old
elf’s arrival the holiday season
was officially underway
in the village.
St. Nick was not just
stopping by to let everyone
know only 27 shopping
days remained until Christmas.
His customary visit the
weekend after Thanksgiving
kicked off the Mayor’s
Holiday Festival and Tree
Lighting Ceremony.
The event — held Nov.
27 this year — has become
a tradition in Orland Park,
and regardless of the chill
in the air outside, the number
of people who crowd
into the Civic Center for the
occasion ensures the conditions
inside will be a bit on
the steamy side.
Hundreds of people —
roughly three-quarters of
them children 8 years old
or younger — attended the
free festival, which featured
singing, dancing, a magic
show and, of course, visits
with Santa.
Youths and their parents
waited up to 40 minutes to
spend a few moments with
the iconic man in the red
suit, with the children sharing
their Christmas wishes
and their parents snapping
photos.
A horse-drawn carriage
made it rounds through the
parking lot, providing parents
and their children a
break from the heat inside
and an opportunity to let
the lines of people waiting
for Santa and an elf creating
balloon art to calm.
The festival was punctuated
by the ceremonial
lighting of the Village’s
Christmas tree in the square
south of Village Hall. Also
illuminated at that time on
the adjacent lawn were numerous
other outdoor decorations,
part of the inaugural
“Spectacular Life-Size
Holiday Light Display.”
But before the grand finale,
attendees indoors were
treated to hot chocolate,
with their choice of toppings,
including whipped
cream, candy sprinkles and
marshmallows. They also
watched hip-hop dance and
ballet performances.
The Sandburg High
School Chamber Singers
filled the south end of the
building with the mostly
soft sounds of classic
Christmas carols and holiday
songs.
A magician who introduced
himself as Mr. Andrew
kept children engaged
and laughing with a comedic
but impressive show, during
which he made a bunny appear
in a cage and levitated
a young girl. Several of the
youths in the crowd assisted
Andrew with his tricks.
“It was pretty cool, the
way the balloon popped and
the bunny appeared,” said
Anabelle Roach, who was
among the magician’s helpers.
How did she make the
bunny appear?
“It was magic, I guess,”
the 8-year-old Orland Park
girl said.
Anabelle also visited Santa,
and asked for a piano,
drum set and electric guitar.
She got an acoustic guitar
for Christmas this past year
and learned to play a couple
of songs. She said she wants
to take electric guitar lessons
with her father.
Brady Roach, Anabelle’s
7-year-old brother, has his
Christmas wishes set on a
Lego Death Star and Kylo
Ren mask — and a coffee
mug.
Orland Park resident
Lindsey Bartholomew and
her son Leo, 5, waited in
line to see Santa with and
Hailey (left), 6, and Hannah Kristin (right), 8, of Orland Park, share their wish lists with Santa Claus Nov. 27 during the
Mayor’s Holiday Festival and Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Orland Park Civic Center.
Photos by Mary Compton/22nd Century Media
Carol Dispensa (left) paints a snowman on the face of
8-year-old Jacob Doss, of Orland Park, during the festival.
their friends Laura Szymczyk
and her daughter Sky,
also 5, of Willow Springs.
The excitable Leo has an
extensive Christmas list, but
at the top he had a couple of
interesting items.
“I’m asking for a robot,
one that has missiles in it
— big ones — and it cooks
Mayor Dan McLaughlin (left), accompanied by Santa
Claus, waves to the people who came out to celebrate the
holidays Nov. 27 in Orland Park.
food,” Leo explained. “And
I want a remote control
car that’s really fast, and a
drone that has missiles.”
Sky, meanwhile, will be
happy with a “cool robot”
and a Teddy bear.
“And an iPad,” she said.