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April 6, 2022

The City of Highland Park is very excited about its new alfresco event space - The Lot - and residents are all abuzz about it! This summer, the City will temporarily transform the underutilized St. John’s North parking lot north of Central into a flexible event space that will host food and music fests from June to November. These events represent a significant opportunity for businesses to connect with new and existing customers, showcase case their cuisine, menus, and catering services, and raise the profile of our community by displaying all that Highland Park has to offer to a regional audience. It also provides many occasions to build relationships with other restauranteurs. Details about staging, setup, entertainment, and participation costs will be available soon.

• June 24 & 25 - Taste of Highland Park, Taste of Summer w/ cooking demos and special dishes from HP chefs coupled with exceptional music.

Fri 5 - 10 PM, Sat 12-10 PM

• July 12 - August 30 - Takeout Tuesdays "Come Out and Play", Inviting the community of family, friends, co-workers, etc. to "come out to play." Possibly focusing on one of the nine Districts each week, inviting the District restaurants/foodservice businesses to be on-site with music, games, and food.

Weekly 5 - 8 PM

• July 16 - World Music Fest, Diverse music & food bringing together a multitude of tastes and experiences.

11 AM - 6 PM

• August 6 - Vintage Car Show, Vintage cars with light bites and music with the idea of sending people to restaurants.

12 - 4 PM

• August 20 - Veg Fest -Vegetarian/Vegan Fest, Veg food trucks, and veg options from HP restaurants with music and activities including arts/crafters using sustainable/recyclable materials, meditation/yoga sessions, and cooking demos.

11 AM - 7 PM

• September 10 - Literary Fest, Book & record dealers, antique books dealers, and scheduled readings

12 - 6 PM

• September 16 & 17 - Oktoberfest, Beer garden with great music to bring the community together!

Fri 5 - 10 PM, Sat 12 - 10 PM

• October 23 -Vintage Market, Antique and vintage vendors with unique items for sale.

11 AM - 5 PM

• November 4 - Stews & Brews, Combining two Midwestern comfort foods and beverages, this event will warm the bones of all that attend! Stew cook-off.

5 - 9 PM

Below is a diagram for the Taste of Highland Park setup. Event layouts will vary.

Events at The Lot will be marketed through print, direct mail, and social media in conjunction with the extensive publicity campaign. All events are intended to draw residents downtown and attract visitors to our community with performers and one-of-a-kind experiences. Our goal is to leverage these events to revitalize Highland Park by increasing awareness of the flagship and destination businesses that set us apart from other North Shore communities. Investing in a gathering space will increase foot traffic exploring downtown Highland Park and foster a renewed sense of community spirit.

We sincerely hope you will participate in one or all of the events and take advantage of this opportunity to increase your exposure, develop new customers, re-connect with old customers, and enhance the success of your business! Should you have any questions about The Lot or the events, please contact Carolyn Hersch at 847.926.1027 or chersch@cityhpil.com.

The outdoor dining season is quickly approaching! Restaurants that choose to offer outdoor dining on public or private property are required to have an outdoor dining license.

City staff will be discussing the Outdoor Dining Regulations at the Committee of the Whole meeting on Monday, April 11, 2022. The agenda for this meeting will be posted to the City’s website at www.cityhpil.com the preceding Thursday. The purpose of the discussion is for City staff to share municipal research on other community regulations and to ensure the City’s operating procedures and practices align with City Council policy.  

2022 Outdoor Dining Application

Businesses that choose to place outdoor sales displays in front of their businesses on public or private property are required to have an outdoor accessory use license.

2022 Outdoor Accessory Use Application

Please return all license applications to mrosen@cityhpil.com

Each week a new business is chosen and promoted on Enjoy Highland Park and on the Enjoy Highland Park Facebook Page, as well as in the Weekender eNews, and on the Central Avenue Digital Kiosks, regardless of the business location.

Click HERE to fill out a brief questionnaire to have your business featured as Business of the Week.

*Don’t forget to upload 1-3 high-resolution photos!

Sent out every Friday, The Weekender is all about things to do, places to shop, restaurants to visit, and more in Highland Park! Email Amanda Civitello so that we can help get the word out!

*Please send pictures along with detailed information about your events and promotions. We are unable to use flyers or pictures that contain text.*

The City is compiling a list of veteran-owned businesses to have on file for reference. Please email Melissa Rosen to add your business. Include the owner's name and the business name, address, phone number, and website.

We are always looking for new ways to help promote Highland Park Businesses. Let us know if you have ideas!

Contact Melissa Rosen in the office of Business Development at 847.926.1046 or mrosen@cityhpil.com.

Businesses and organizations are encouraged to register for the 2022 Fourth of July Parade. This year's parade theme is: We are all Superheroes - What's Your Super Power? Community!

The initial deadline for applications is May 13. The fee for a business or campaign is $60. Not-for-profit groups are exempt. All applications received between May 16 and June 3 require an additional $40 late fee. No applications are accepted after 5 PM on June 3.

Forms are available at cityhpil.com/July4 or contact Jennifer Dotson in the City Manager's Office at 847.926.1006 / jdotson@cityhpil.com.  

The City of Highland Park offers two opportunities for businesses to take part in the beautification of our business districts.

The Adopt-A-Planter Program is only open to Highland Park Business and Property Owners in the Central Business District. As an Adopter, you must commit to the summer and fall seasons each year and you are responsible for the provision of plants as well as care and maintenance of the planters. This includes but is not limited to planting, watering, and weeding.

View the Adopt-A-Planter Program Brochure

The Sponsor-A-Planter Program offers community members 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 will recognize the sponsor or an individual or family chosen by the sponsor. Planters are located in the Central Business District and the Ravinia District and are maintained from May to November.

View The Sponsor-A-Planter Program Brochure

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

Sexual Harassment Prevention Training

Tuesday, April 12

9 AM

Via Zoom Webinar - Register HERE

Update Your Business Plan to Grow Your Business!

Meet With A Small Business Advisor Through SBDC Illinois

Illinois Small Business Development & International Trade Center offers confidential, no-cost, one-on-one virtual advising sessions.

To schedule a meeting click HERE

Attraction & Retention Series - Affordable and easy solutions for small business owners addressing key issues associated with attracting, hiring, and keeping talent in today’s tough labor market.

Join Management Consultant Michelle Arentz, owner of Lazarus Learning LLC, in this virtual seven-part series exploring what workers are looking for and how small businesses can be competitive beyond wages.

This series will run on Tuesdays from March 15 to April 26

9-9:45 AM

More information and Registration

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.

Visit northchicago.score.org 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.

Interested in sharing your profession with a high school student exploring their career options? The Highland Park Career Exploration program (HPCE) provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable insights into a potential career path and goals. Students are matched and meet with professionals to discuss career aspirations, work initiatives, and other professional inquiries.

For general business inquiries, contact the City's Business Development Manager Carolyn Hersch at chersch@cityhpil.com.

For more information on the City's response to COVID-19, contact the City's Communications Manager Amanda Civitello at acivitello@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 Melissa Rosen at mrosen@cityhpil.com. The City reserves the right to edit and/or filter submissions. No pricing information will be published.