Happy Friday, Antioch!
First of all, I wanted to wish a joyous Hanukkah to all my friends and neighbors celebrating the Festival of Lights – may your homes be filled with love, laughter, and the warmth of the season!
Santa Claus is coming to town! Santa will be at the Sawmill tonight and tomorrow night, then again next Friday and Saturday, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. It’s been fun to see all the pictures people have been posting of their children visiting Santa!
If you can’t make it to visit Santa, you’re still able to drop him a letter at Village Hall. There is a special mailbox in front of Village Hall (874 Main Street) just for letters going to the North Pole. Our Parks Department will deliver the letters directly to Santa before Christmas. Anyone who writes to Santa is reminded to include their return address on their letter, so Santa can respond! The mailbox will be in place until December 20th. The sooner you drop off a letter, the sooner Santa can respond!
The Village of Antioch’s Festival of Trees continues this weekend. Trees will be displayed at the Hiram Buttrick Sawmill through Sunday, December 17th. For more information call the Parks Office at 847-395-2160.
Tomorrow night, the Lakes Area Community Band will be performing a Community Christmas Concert with the Navy Band Great Lakes at Lakes High School. The concert starts at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6). This is a free show. For more information, visit the Lakes Community Band Facebook page.
Welcome aboard! At our last Village Board meeting, it was exciting to see three new members of the Antioch Police Department sworn in by Antioch Village Clerk, Lori Romine. Welcome Patrick Conrad, Jeffrey Melinyshyn, and Connor Jannick. All three recruits will attend 16 weeks of police academy training starting next month before they hit the streets of Antioch with a Field Training Officer.
Toys for Tots at Village Hall! It has been great to see how many people have donated at Village Hall for the annual Toys for Tots campaign! Thank you to everyone who has made donations! If you would like to donate new and unwrapped toys, you can drop them off at the Antioch Village Hall (874 Main Street), Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. until the morning of Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
Parents – if you’re looking for something for your kids to do over winter break, I encourage you to check out the Antioch Parks Department’s Winter Break Camp. Registration is open, and new this year, is the Parks Department’s guarantee that none of the sessions will be canceled due to low enrollment. The Winter Break Camp runs the weeks of December 26th and January 2nd. (Four days each week). For more information or to register, visit: https://secure.rec1.com/IL/village-of-antioch/catalog/index/6047d398ae09ecaf63dbd3f553f00299?filter=c2VhcmNoPXdpbnRlciUyMGJyZWFrJTIwY2FtcA==
This past week, I joined mayors and administrative staff from communities across the county for the Lake County Municipal League’s annual Winter Dinner. During the award ceremony, the Village of Antioch was recognized for having the largest social media following of any municipality in Lake County (across all platforms). This speaks to the interest of residents and non-residents about what’s going on in our town.
Finally, please remember to shop and dine locally throughout the holiday season!
Scott J. Gartner
#antiochil #antiochmayorsupdate
Upcoming Village Events:
December 8, 9, 15, & 16, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. – Santa at the Sawmill – Buttrick Sawmill
December 3rd – 17th, 2023 – Village of Antioch Festival of Trees – Buttrick Sawmill
January 20. 2024, 12n – 4 p.m. – Village of Antioch 2024 Wine Walk
