Santa Claus was, perhaps without surprise, the big hit Saturday at the Oak Lawn Santa on the Green, but with new hours, new attractions and a new tree-lighting ceremony in front of City Hall, residents and guests had several good reasons to visit the Village Green on Raymond Avenue.
“Didn’t we do a great job with the decorations,” Mayor Terry Vorderer asked the assembled crowd just before turning on the tree lights.
The crowd, in the hundreds, applauded. The tree lighting was the biggest new draw and it’s why the event was pushed back a few hours.
In years past, Santa met with children during the afternoon and by sundown the whole of the Village Green was winding down. Not so Saturday. Right on schedule at 5 p.m., crowds of people meandered toward City Hall to see the lights brighten up a dark street.
The warmer temperatures didn’t hurt either. Just days ago the highs were in the teens, but even after sunset Saturday, temperatures stayed in the mid-40s.
“Two days ago we would have been freezing our you-know-whats off,” said Public Works Director Bill Meyer. His department oversaw the event and, given the later run time, he said he was pleased with the turnout.
“We’ve had over 1,200 people come through,” Meyer said.
He said the weather plus attractions such as the tree and hot cocoa sales seem to have brought the crowds. But, of course, it was Santa who had the longest line.
Neighbors caught up with friends, parents sipped hot drinks, children ran around and played and familiar faces ducked in and out of the crowds — the Grinch, Santa’s helpers, a stilt walker who juggled, an inflatable frosty and other winter favorites.
Sometimes, the children did the entertaining.
“We came to see our friend’s kids singing in the choir,” said Claudia Garcia.
Throughout the evening, children’s choirs and adult singers walked through the park caroling, some dressed in 19th century apparel.
Garcia said she’d not been to Santa on the Green before and said she was enjoying the whole thing.
“It was really nice,” she said.
“It was fun,” agreed Claudia Cabillo. “I liked most the inflatables.”
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
