Buddy the Elf will be hiding out at a different park each week starting the week of November 23. A new clue for Buddy’s location will be posted on this webpage and our Facebook page each weekday at 12pm. Every Sunday at 9pm, Buddy will pack up and find a new park to hide out at and a new set of clues for his location will be shared.
Bring your camera to snap photos of Buddy in his hiding spot to share with us on Facebook (be sure to tag @winnetkaparkdistrict). Photos can also be uploaded via this form. The first five people to share photos with us will receive a $10 gift card to a local Winnetka business!
Guidelines
The first five people to share a photo of Buddy in his hiding spot each week will receive a gift card. A photo of Buddy is required to receive the gift card – a guess alone does not count.
An individual or family may only win one gift card throughout the five weeks, but are encouraged to continue searching for Buddy every week!
Please follow social distancing guidelines and wear a face covering when near others outside of your household.
Do not touch or move Buddy the Elf.
Buddy will remain in his hiding spot from Monday at 12pm through the following Sunday at 9pm before moving to a new location.
Week #1: Monday, November 23 at 12pm through Sunday, November 29 at 9pm
Week #2: Monday, November 30 at 12pm through Sunday, December 6 at 9pm
Week #3: Monday, December 7 at 12pm through Sunday, December 13 at 9pm
Week #4: Monday, December 14 at 12pm through Sunday, December 20 at 9pm
Week #5: Monday, December 21 at 12pm through Sunday, December 27 at 9pm
Restore Illinois Tier 3 mitigations go into effect Friday, November 20. Per the guidance, the Illinois Department of Health will monitor each region in two-week increments to determine if mitigations can be relaxed, tightened, or remain the same.
After carefully reviewing the guidelines and weighing our own health and safety standards, we have determined our facilities will remain open through the initial two weeks of Tier 3 mitigations. Offerings will be limited. We’ll continue to reassess program and service offerings as new guidance is released. We’ll communicate changes via email and on our COVID-19 webpage. Scroll to learn more!
Note: Face coverings are required at all times while participating in activities at the Park District. This includes both indoor and outdoor activities.
Fall and Winter Programs
Fall Programs
Fall programs (excluding platform tennis) have been paused and will resume once Tier 3 mitigations are lifted. Refunds in the form of an account credit can be given for any canceled classes.
Winter Programs
All winter programs (those that start after November 29) are scheduled to move forward. We have many virtual and outdoor options available and encourage you to register! Refunds will be offered for any cancellations due to COVID-19. Learn more about our COVID refund policy.
Group lessons: starting November 20, winter session I is paused and will resume once Tier 3 mitigations are lifted. Participants will receive a refund in the form of an account credit for any missed classes.
A.C. Nielsen Tennis Center
Open
Indoor courts: singles only, pre-paid reservations required, one-hour time slots.
Group lessons: fall classes scheduled for November 20-24 have been canceled. Participants will receive a refund in the form of an account credit for the canceled classes. The winter session originally scheduled to begin November 30 will be delayed until Tier 3 mitigations are lifted. The session will be extended into April to make up for any missed classes, if necessary. For questions, call (847) 501-2065 ext 0.
Charitable transaction helps Park District preserve its beaches
After months of due diligence by the Winnetka Park District’s board of commissioners and staff, the Park District is acquiring the lakefront single-family home and lot that separates Elder Lane Beach and Centennial Beach, allowing the two parks and beaches to be combined into one. The transaction is being accomplished through a property exchange agreement, which results in the Park District exchanging the southernmost end of Centennial Park/Beach for the lakefront property between Elder Lane Park/Beach and Centennial Park/Beach. The parcel of property the Park District is acquiring is the same width at Sheridan Road and the same width at the beachfront as the parcel of property the Park District is conveying.
“This exchange marks a
significant milestone for our Village, aligning Winnetka’s lakefront property to
create one of the largest public beaches on the North Shore,” said Mickey
Archambault, Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners President.
The property exchange allows for
the combination of Elder Lane Beach and Centennial Beach to provide nearly
1,000 feet of continuous public beach.
It also joins the two parks to create nearly eight contiguous acres of
parkland.
“One of the key steps in the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan is to acquire the residential property between Elder Lane Park and Centennial Park,” said Warren James, one of seven commissioners of the Winnetka Park District board, which voted unanimously in support of the property exchange. “Only with the acquisition of the property can we implement the Waterfront 2030 plan as it was envisioned and adopted by the Board back in 2015.”
Mr. James, who co-chaired the
development of the Winnetka Waterfront 2030 plan, continued, “We are now
positioned to construct shoreline breakwaters in a cost-effective, efficient
manner to protect Elder Lane Beach, Centennial Beach, and the respective
bluffs. Shoreline protection planning is
in the works. We are working to apply for permits in an effort to begin
shoreline work next spring.”
The Winnetka Park District
recently issued $9 million in bonds to pay for lakefront improvements, $4
million of which is earmarked for significant, critical improvements at Lloyd
Beach.
“The remaining $5 million is
available for essential shoreline protection measures at Centennial Beach and
Elder Lane Beach, which are in dire condition,” said Archambault.
“The two beaches (Elder and
Centennial) are approaching a critical condition, similar to Lloyd Beach, as
recent lake conditions continue to inflict significant damage which will make
future restoration far more expensive if not addressed now. If we were to pause and not act, we very
likely would incur more damage along this shoreline. In these times, it’s incumbent upon the Park
District board to be responsible financial stewards and, in so doing, maintain
the value of Winnetka’s wonderful lakefront assets.”
Aside from standard real estate
transaction costs, the Winnetka Park District will not incur any expense to
exchange the properties, thanks to a private individual’s generosity.
“Merging these two parks by acquiring
the private parcel between them has been a priority for many years,” said James. “So, we’ve kept our eyes on the prize for
quite some time. The pandemic
drastically affected the Park District’s revenues and we have been required to significantly
tighten the Park District’s expenditures. The Park District has been, and
continues to be, without the resources to conduct an outright purchase of the
property. In light of its many competing priorities and extremely limited
financial resources, the Park District could not have acquired the private
parcel independent of the exchange. When
we were presented with an opportunity to accept a gift of substantially greater
value in exchange for a parcel of park property, we realized it was a once-in-a-generation
opportunity.”
“To have a long-term goal realized, given all its positives, truly is amazing and is of great, great benefit to the residents of Winnetka.”
Conceptual rendering from the Waterfront 2030 plan of Elder Lane Beach/Park and Centennial Beach/Park combined into one.
We are redesigning our website and want to hear from you on what you like and don’t like about our current website. Your input will help us create a new website that is more user-friendly, easier to navigate, and visually appealing.
Fill out a short questionnaire before your focus group (five minutes or less)
Actively participate in focus group (90 minutes)
Social Distancing
Focus groups will be outdoors or in a screened-in area (depending on weather). Each group will include eight to ten participants, one moderator, and two park district staff. Participants will be spaced at least six feet apart. Sanitizing stations will be available, and all tables and chairs disinfected between groups.
Sign Up
If you are interested, please fill out this form. We will finalize focus groups and notify participants by September 30. Thank you in advance for your time and input!
If you have questions or need additional information, please reach out to Kelsey Raftery at kraftery@nullwinpark.org or (847) 501-2044.
Co-Sponsored by Friends of the Green Bay Trail and Charles Schwab
Enjoy some time outdoors and help us celebrate the beautiful Green Bay Trail! Submit your photos to Friends of the Green Bay Trail anytime before September 30th, 2020.
Voting is open from October 1st through the 18th. Anyone and everyone is encouraged to vote for their favorite photos! A total of 12 winners will be chosen.
Since March, we
have been asked to think and act in different ways, adjust to a
constantly-changing atmosphere, and make a number of compromises in our daily
lives that will help support our
community in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Vigilance about mask-wearing,
social distancing, and maintaining sanitization of hands and personal spaces
has required major changes in the ways in which we live, work, and socialize.
As we segue from
summer to fall, and the beginning of the school year for the children in our
community, your Village and District leaders are doing their best to plan for
an unprecedented situation. In accordance with guidance from the State of
Illinois, Illinois School Board of Education, and Illinois Department of Public
Health, our school year will look very different this year to best support the
safety and health of our community. We are mindful that the spread of the
virus anywhere in our community is dangerous for everyone involved and have thoughtfully
identified best practices to help support the safest way forward for our
children, teachers, and administrators.
In early spring,
we were unaware of the critical need to wear masks around others. We now know
that masks are key to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing has
become an accepted practice, but maintaining social distancing can be
difficult, as it is our natural instinct to be close with one another as
friends and neighbors.
As the weather
turns colder, we will be inside for longer durations of time. We have learned
that air circulation, natural to the outdoors, is another way to avoid
concentrated exposure to the virus, should you unknowingly be in proximity to a
carrier. Summer weather has been conducive to outdoor activities, though we
have seen spikes in case numbers because of gatherings that occur without best
practices in place.
The combination
of colder weather and the fact that our children will be back in school on a
hybrid schedule makes it more critical than ever for each of us to maintain the
practices we know work to prevent the spread of the virus, and to encourage
best practices in others such as mask-wearing, hand-washing, maintaining social
distancing, staying home if you are sick, and getting tested if you experience
symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.
We know the last
thing anyone wants is a spike in COVID-19 cases. With this in mind, let’s
encourage each other to follow public health guidance that will support the
well-being of our community, the recovery of our economy, and a return to
schools (with safety measures in place). We are confident that if we take
seriously the identified best practices of mask-wearing, social distancing,
hand-washing, and staying home if you are sick, we can limit the spread of this
disease in Winnetka.
We appeal to each
of you to help us. We are all in this together, and by taking this threat
seriously we can each be a part of the solution.
Sincerely,
Chris Rintz Village President
Dawn Livingston
President, District 36 School Board
Mickey Archambault
President, Winnetka Park District Board of Commissioners
You may have noticed an explosion of color and a host of butterflies in The Butterfly Garden at the north end of Dwyer Park this summer. This garden, created and maintained by Garden Guild of Winnetka for more than 20 years, is a beautiful landmark in our community and a crucial habitat for butterflies and bees.
All the plants in the garden
serve as nurseries for caterpillars and/or nectar sources for butterflies. The
garden features two different species of milkweed — the only feeding source
for monarch caterpillars and the only plant that monarch butterflies will lay
their eggs on.
Blooms start in spring, with
white daffodils and purple grape hyacinth. Summer exhibits intense color from orange
and yellow yarrow, purple coneflower, and magenta blazing star. Fall brings the
jewel tones of asters, goldenrod, and ornamental grasses. Take some time to
smell the fragrance of butterfly bush, garden phlox, and sweet pepperbush. Nearly
30 botanical plant markers are on-site to aid in identification, and the Life
Cycle of the Butterfly sign at the west corner of the garden is great for
children.
We encourage you to enjoy this garden gem throughout the seasons! Stop by to read a book, have your morning coffee, or to find ideas for your own pollinator garden at home. Click here to view all the plants in the garden.
Cool off this summer at our splash pad located in Hubbard Woods Park. The splash pad is open daily from 9am-8pm. The playground at the park is also open for your fun and enjoyment!
Wednesday in the Woods daytime and evening concerts are back! To allow for social distancing, Hubbard Woods Park will be split into two sections: a yellow section and a green section. A maximum of 50 people are allowed per section.
Patrons are required to reserve their spot in advance. Residents have priority. Pending availability, non-residents may reserve a spot the day of.
Daytime Concerts @ 11am
These interactive children’s concerts performed by Our Music Institute (OMi) begin at 11am. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Live music starts at 7pm. Patrons may bring dinner or pick up food from one of the nearby restaurants. Food and drinks will not be available for purchase.
July 15: Pearls Mahone
Pearls Mahone is pure vintage Americana! With a firm foundation in traditional church music, she truly sings with spirit, combining a variety of styles, including jazz, rock, and country-western.
This band plays favorite pop and rock hits revved-up with their own unique blend of high-energy dance music, infused with rock ‘n’ roll swagger, then topped off with memorable stage costumes inspired by cosplay and anime. If there was only one word to describe this cover band, it would be animazing!
The impact of 90s music forged an era of heartthrob adolescents known as Boy Bands. The Boy Band Night covers pop sensations like the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, One Direction, and more!
Close out the summer with The Jack’s! This hometown favorite plays a variety of music from all eras — from The Doors and Van Morrison to the Kings of Leon and Neon Trees.
Thank you to all who participated in our Fourth of July Parade. We had a total of 73 vehicles come out and celebrate with us. Prizes were given to the best decorated vehicles. Congratulations to the winning families!
#1 Free session of summer camp: Vehicle 26, Hardy Family #2 Beach season pass for a family of four: Vehicle 7, Brown Family #3 Free session of tennis group lesson: Vehicle 71, Wentezl Family #4 Free session of skating or hockey group lesson: Vehicle 45, Morse Family
People’s Choice Award
Free golf foursome with two carts: Vehicle 10, Evans Family
