Good afternoon, Antioch! Happy Friday!
Spring is almost here, but we’re already planning for this summer in the Village of Antioch!
104 days from today, we’ll be opening up the It’s Thursday summer concert series at the Bandshell, but who’s counting 
? Earlier this week, I joined US99’s Drew Walker and Raymond Chevrolet Kia’s Mark Scarpelli to announce that country music star Chris Cagle would be our opening act for the summer concert series! Each year, our kickoff concert seems to become a bigger and bigger deal! Last year we welcomed somewhere between 5,000 to 7,000 people to downtown Antioch. I can’t wait to showcase our community to another large crowd this summer. A complete list of who is performing this summer is in the graphic below.
These concerts couldn’t happen without the support of the members of the Antioch Village Board, our radio partners, and our sponsors. Thanks again to Mark Scarpelli and the Raymond Auto Group for stepping up to be the Title Sponsor of our summer concert series. Mark, we’re grateful for all that you do for Antioch!
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of walking the construction site for the village open space redevelopment project at Orchard and Main Street. WOW! It seems like every time I blink, more progress is being made on the site. The café building seems to have gone up almost overnight! They’re already planning to have the roof finished next week! While I was on the site, our village communications team took some videos. We hope to have them ready to share next week.
Tickets are on sale now for the Antioch Chamber’s next Girl’s Night Out. The “Ears to You” Girl’s Night Out will be held on the evening of April 18th. Join the Antioch Chamber for a townwide scavenger hunt, raffles, and fun along with a magical After Hours Party for adults. The evening of fun will feature a theme related to the most famous mouse in the world! For more information and tickets, visit: https://cm.antiochchamber.org/events/details/ears-to-you-w-after-party-gno-4-18-24-8323
Tomorrow night, Sequoit Pride will host its annual Fundraising event from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Lehmann Mansion in Lake Villa. The Main Event is an annual dinner auction fundraiser that raises money to fund unbudgeted opportunities for ACHS students. The Main Event is the largest fundraiser produced by the Sequoit Pride booster club. Tickets include dinner, a DJ, dancing, and a silent/live auction. Tickets are $60/person. To purchase tickets, visit: https://sequoit-pride-boosters.square.site/main-event
Later this month, you’re invited to join the family friendly Easter activities provided by the Antioch Parks and Recreation Department. The Flashlight Easter Egg Hunt (for 10-15-year-olds) will take place on Thursday, March 28th at 8:00 p.m. The Antioch Easter Parade will be on Saturday, March 30th at 10:30 a.m. with an Easter Egg hunt for the kids (ages 0-9) at 11:00 a.m. If your children would like to participate in either egg hunt, please contact our Parks Department to get a wristband for the event.
Also this month, the Village of Antioch is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a fun run and party at the Tim Osmond Sports Complex. The inaugural Shamrock Shuffle 5k family fun run/walk will take place on Saturday, March 16th, and will be an exciting day for the whole family! The run/walk will be followed by music and family-friendly events, with food and beer! For more information, visit https://fb.me/e/3tpXPZqLD (You need to register by TODAY if you want a limited edition race t-shirt).
Parents –Enrollment is going on now for the Antioch Parks Department Spring Break Camp. The Spring Break Camp sessions are guaranteed to take place without worry of low enrollment cancelations. That means parents don’t have to worry about finding alternative things do to at the last minute. Spring Break Camp is for children in grades K – 7th and will run from March 25 – March 29, 2024. Camp is $42 per child per day. Register today: https://secure.rec1.com/IL/village-of-antioch/catalog/index/66a879c23ab2ce5fd76ba2a7b1913a45?filter=c2VhcmNoPXNwcmluZyUyMGJyZWFr&fbclid=IwAR3tAtsahJPgx_7I_X4vYjcmxN1GcsPV_jD4srJLiNdMCGCr5a8iE0CCAx8
I wanted to express my condolences to the family of Dennis Downs. Dennis was the leading local authority on trail marker trees and the author of the 2011 book, “Native American Trail Marker Trees/Marking Paths Through the Wilderness”. Dennis was also the artist who created the bronze statue of the Trail Marker Tree in downtown Antioch. Services are tomorrow, Saturday, March 2nd at the Kelley & Spalding Funeral Home & Crematory, 1787 Deerfield Road, Highland Park. The wake will be from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.; the service will be from 5 p.m. until 6 p.m.
Finally, over the next few days, the latest Antioch Parks and Recreation catalog will be arriving in mailboxes across Antioch. Registration is already underway for many activities. To view the catalog online, visit: https://www.antioch.il.gov/download/Program%20Guides/Spring%20Summer/2024-Spring-Summer-PR-Book.pdf
Have a great weekend! Please remember to shop and dine local!
Scott J. Gartner
#antiochil #antiochmayorsupdate
Upcoming Village Events:
March 10, 2024 – 2024 Village of Antioch Mother/Son Bowling
March 16, 2024, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. – 2024 Village of Antioch Shamrock Shuffle 5k family run/walk
March 28, 2024, 8 p.m. – 2024 Village of Antioch Flashlight Egg Hunt
March 30, 2024, 10:30 a.m. – 2024 Easter Parade – Downtown Antioch
March 30, 2024, 11: a.m. – Easter Egg Hunt at the Bandshell
