When Santa visits Vernon Hills, he gets a firetruck.
Santa Claus rode around town on one of the Countryside Fire Protection District’s firetrucks Saturday afternoon, waving to residents waiting outside their homes to greet him. After the parade, Santa met with Vernon Hills officials for the annual Menorah and Tree Lighting ceremony.
Though, the festivities were a bit different this year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the typical parade looked a little different. Santa rode through several streets on a specific route for more than two hours, allowing residents to see Santa from the comfort of their homes.
Along with bringing Santa to the residents, the village also streamed the parade on their Facebook page. The stream, taking place from inside the firetruck, showed Santa waving to families outside the window, sometimes greeting the camera and wishing everyone watching a happy holiday season.
In a normal year, the village hosts the lighting as a gathering event, where they serve various snacks and drinks to residents.
At the end of the route, Santa’s parade parked outside the Vernon Hills Golf Course, walking and being greeted by Vernon Hills officials, as well as Jeneen Alsamsam, Junior Miss Vernon Hills of 2020, and Haley Kalinowski, Junior Miss Lake County of 2019.
Mayor Roger Byrne was also waiting in a golf cart to greet Santa. During the livestream, Byrne wished everyone a happy holiday season, saying everyone needs “a laugh and a smile.” Afterwards, Byrne and Santa counted down to the tree lighting.
“I hope you had a nice time this afternoon with Santa getting to ride around town,” he said. “Hopefully next year brings good health for the whole world.”
