With something for just about everyone, Tinley Park’s Holiday Happenings drew out crowds over the weekend.
The annual festival kicked off Friday with a community tree lighting at the train station at Zabrocki Plaza. Crowds also shopped for craft goods in a heated tent nearby, grabbed snacks at one of the food trailers, enjoyed a light display, saw Santa or Rudolph, took a short carriage ride or listened to live bands while sipping beer.
The festival is a near 20-year tradition for Tinley Park, though this year most of the events were pushed into the evening.
Amanda Gaus, the town’s event specialist, said the time shift did little to dampen spirits.
“It’s going great,” Gaus said, as crowds swept by the village’s information tent and the band Vision in the Rhythm played Irish-infused rock and folk tunes on stage nearby. She said the shindig is intended to celebrate the community and the season.
“It’s for Christmas shopping, enjoying a tree lighting and it kind of kicks off the Christmas season,” she said.
Gaus said the event had been a mostly daytime affair, but this year most of the fun took place at night, all the better for the Christmas lights to sparkle. Indeed, the plaza was decked out in Christmas spirit and, with lows only in the 40s, the weather was about as perfect as could be expected.
“This is a great turnout,” Gaus said.
Visitors said they wouldn’t have stayed away regardless of the time. The Rogers family slowly made its way through the craft tent, checking out silly hats and others attractions for Kim, their daughter.
“It’s a nice event,” said Michael Rogers. “We come every year.”
Rogers said he thinks the whole event had better attendance.
“I think there were probably more people last year, but it was colder then, too,” Michael said.
The vendors agreed. Morgan Ainley, owner of Whisk by Morgan, a small sweets boutique, reported a brisk business selling cookies and cakes on the second day.
“I think it might even be a bigger turnout this year than last year,” Ainley said.
But good weather alone didn’t bring the crowds. Several visitors praised the variety of activities and the crafts, enabling them to get some shopping out of the way and have a good time with the community.
“I like all the vendors,” said Mike Kowalski. “I love the candles.”
Meanwhile, some folks preferred to kick back and relax.
“I like the carriage rides,” said Steve Predney.
There were a few new faces. Kacie Waycki operates a coffee shop, a brick and mortar businesses at Zabrocki Plaza, and she said she didn’t know what to expect. The shop, Krema Coffee Roasters, opened at the train station a few weeks ago. Waycki could not have picked a better time or place to open a Tinley Park location, though she said the proximity to the Christmas festival was something of a coincidence.
Waycki doesn’t live in Tinley Park — the company is based in Plainfield — and said she she’d never been to Holiday Happenings, but she wasn’t complaining.
“It’s brought a lot of people in to the station to see Santa and grab a hot chocolate,” she said.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
