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June 21, 2023

Since 2009, Avant for Men has been a go-to for those seeking luxurious clothing to wear to work, for play, and everywhere in-between. Avant for Men carries suits, sportswear, outerwear, and accessories for men by the finest brands, including Alberto, Canali, Copley, St. Croix and more. Tailoring services are offered, including custom made clothing using the finest Italian and English imported fabrics. And, just in case you need to plan a wedding, Avant for Men also offers wedding planning services! 

1849 Green Bay Road, Suite 105 / 847.681.1100 / Avant for Men

There will be a scheduled water shut-off for specific Park Avenue businesses on Thursday, June 22, from 9 AM – 5 PM to repair a damaged water main near the Park Avenue West Bridge. Impacted addresses include: 1201 Park Avenue, 1160 Park Avenue, 1170 Park Avenue, and 1147 Park Avenue. Please direct any questions to Bill Painter, Water Foreman, with the City of Highland Park Public Works Department. He can be reached at 847.926.1151 or bpainter@cityhpil.com. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this critical project. 

This year's slate of events on July 4, 2023, will provide multiple opportunities for the community to gather. For businesses planning to remain open that day, please note there will be road closures starting at 4 AM, with an anticipated reopening time of 2 PM. The road closure route includes Central Avenue between St. Johns and Sunset Road and St. Johns between Elm Place and Laurel Avenue.

The cross streets in this area will also have restricted access; please note closure points on the map. 

Visit the main events page to register in advance for specific events and to view the special events map.

Schedule of events for July 4, 2023:

• Remembrance Ceremony (10:00 AM, City Hall, Registration required)
• Community Walk (11:00 AM, City Hall or St. Johns & Elm, Registration required)
• Independence Day Community Picnic (11:30 AM - 1:30 PM, Sunset Woods Park, Registration requested)
• Gary Sinise & the Lt. Dan Band Concert & Entertainment (5:00 PM Entry / 7:30 PM Concert, Wolters Field, Registration required)
• We Are Highland Park Drone Show (9:30 PM, Wolters Field)

Savor the flavors of summer at the Taste of Highland Park at The Lot! Sample a variety of special dishes from Highland Park chefs coupled with exceptional music at The Lot. Learn more at enjoyhighlandpark.com/taste.

Participating Restaurants

On-site restaurant vendors will bring a wide variety of food and drink including Cajun, poke bowls, Mediterranean, vegan/vegetarian, sweet treats, grilled items, pizza, Mexican and more. Participating restaurants include Bella Ru Catering, BWB Shakes, Cafe Dacha, Jerk N’ More Too, Judy’s, La Shuk Street Food, Lynfred Winery, Michael’s Grill & Salad Bar, Pixca, Poke Burrito, Ravinia Brewing Company, Sugarcoated, and Tamales. Libations will be available for those 21 and older!

DJ MADRID

5 - 7 PM

Internationally recognized DJ Madrid kicks off the weekend with his signature rich mixes and unforgettable sound.

YACHTLEY CREW

7:30 - 10 PM

The nation’s #1 yacht rock band, Yachtley Crew will be playing all the soft rock hits from the 70s and 80s, guaranteed to get the crowd dancing!

AMERICAN ENGLISH

6 - 7:30 PM

Groove to classic Beatles favorites such as She Loves You, Twist and Shout, I Want To Hold Your Hand, and many others. American English captures the very essence of John, Paul, George and Ringo!

IDES OF MARCH FEAT. JIM PETERIK

8:30 - 10 PM

Powered by the unforgettable songs of Grammy-winner Jim Peterik, headliner The Ides of March play a non-stop juggernaut of everyone’s favorite tunes.

For the full entertainment lineup visit enjoyhighlandpark.com/taste.

 Season Lineup:

• Taste of Highland Park: June 23, 5 - 10 PM & June 24, 12 - 10 PM
• Bitter Jester Music Fest: June 25, 12 - 8 PM
• Artisan Market: July 2 - September 24, Sundays at 10 AM - 3 PM
• World Music and Food Fest: July 15, 12 - 10 PM
• Vintage Car Show: September 9, 12 - 4 PM
• Oktoberfest: September 30, 12 -10 PM
• Vintage Market: October 8, 11 AM - 4 PM
• Stews & Brews and Blues: October 13 & 14, 5 - 9 PM

If you are interested in participating as a vendor at The Lot in 2023 or 2024, please contact Ilyse Strongin, Event Manager with Ripple Public Relations at: info@ripplepublicrelations.com.

You know it's summer because Food Truck Thursdays is now in full swing! Featuring over a dozen rotating food trucks and live music Food Truck Thursdays takes place in the Ravinia District weekly through September 21, 4:30 PM til dusk. This week, classic folk singer-songwriter Ian Leith opens for David Bowie cover band True Believers.

If you are interested in participating as a food truck vendor in 2023 or 2024, please contact Leslie Cahill, General Manager of The French Market/Bensidoun at: lcahill90@gmail.com.

The Sponsor-A-Planter Program offers residents and businesses the opportunity to sponsor an available municipal planter during the summer and fall seasons. An annual fee covers planting, maintenance, and a 5” x 7” commemorative placard in the planter. The placard may recognize the sponsor or honor an individual or family. Planters are located in the Central Business District and the Ravinia District and are maintained from May to November.

More information is available at cityhpil.com. Please contact the Office of Business Development at 847.926.1046 with questions. 

The City’s online payment system for licensing will be temporarily disabled until July 18, 2023 at 8AM, as part of the City’s implementation of new computer software. During this time, all license online payments will be unavailable. Payments are not accepted over the phone. Payments can be made by mail or drop box, located in the parking lot adjacent to City Hall. Please contact the City Manager’s Office at 847.926.1000 or cityhp@cityhpil.com for more information.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced that Illinois will receive up to $354.6 million to administer programs as part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The expanded program offering through SSBCI will enable Illinois to support small businesses across the state - helping them attract more capital investment and expand or launch business operations, while supporting key sectors. All of the new programs will launch in the coming months.

• Advantage Illinois (AI) Loan Guarantee Program (New Program)

Advantage Illinois' new Loan Guarantee Program will support business applicants who are having difficulty gaining access to capital by using funds to guarantee a percentage of loans provided by partner lenders.

• IN-VENT Venture Capital Program (VCP) (New Program)

Innovation Venture Fund (IN-VENT) will operate as a direct equity program with a focus on investing in businesses in key industries such as agriculture, ag tech, information technology, life sciences, manufacturing, quantum, and more.

• Climate Bank Finance Loan Participation Program (New Program)

This new program will be overseen by DCEO and administered by the Illinois Finance Authority (IFA), which will partner with local lenders to issue the loans. Climate Bank funds will be available to small businesses in the clean energy sector.

To receive program updates, please fill out the following form.

SCORE offers in-person or virtual sessions using phone, email, or video

All sessions are free and confidential. SCORE mentors are successful business professionals, some retired, some working, from all industries and experiences.

SCORE recently added a new YouTube channel where all previously recorded webinars can be accessed.

To schedule an in-person or virtual session, visit score.org/northchicago and register to “Find a Mentor”. You will be asked to provide the nature of your business interest. Please include whether you prefer in-person or virtual mentoring (phone, email, video) and note the Highland Park Public Library even if you prefer a virtual session.

The City encourages business owners and managers to share information regarding upcoming events, promotions or news for possible inclusion in the City's marketing modalities, including The Weekender, Enjoy Highland Park, and social media. Please send these items to the City via email to: businessdevelopment@cityhpil.com.

For general business inquiries and assistance, contact Business Development Manager Carolyn Hersch at chersch@cityhpil.com or 847.926.1027.

Questions regarding enjoyhighlandpark.com should be addressed to Amanda Bennett, Communications Manager, at abennett@cityhpil.com.

This newsletter is produced by the City of Highland Park's Office of Business Development. If you have information you would like to include in this weekly mailing, please submit information, photos, and news to businessdevelopment@cityhpil.com. The City reserves the right to edit and/or filter submissions.