Plan Your Spring Adventures
Our Spring Guide is now part of our newly designed website. Browse and sign up for events, memberships, passes, and programs directly from the website. No more flipping through pages on a hard-to-read digital brochure and we are saving trees by not printing a seasonal brochure!
Get the most out of springtime with our:
Welcome to Our New Website & App!
We’ve got a whole line-up of new online experiences for you! Now you have an easier way to learn about our Park District, find important information, and get your transactions done faster so you can move on with your day.
New Website
Our new website was designed with a fresh new look and feel, improved functionality, and a more enjoyable viewing experience no matter what device you are using. The new site is jam-packed with handy new features and carefully organized based on our users’ preferences, including:
Hold on to your hats. There is more!
We’ve got a new App!
Connect with your park district! Download your new Park District app and have all the information you need at the touch of a button. The app is your destination for:
Download the app before December 31, 2022 and receive a $5 coupon you can use at any Park District location (some restrictions apply).
We are so excited for you to experience our new website and app first hand, and let us know what you think. Check out the graphic and video below that highlight the new features and how to navigate the new website and app to get you started.
12/15/21 – New! Highwood residents can receive resident rates for 2022 Summer Camps. To receive resident rates:
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park “Foundation Youth Initiative (FYI) Grant-in-Aid Program” is also available to qualifying Highwood families, and can help cover up to 50% of camp program fees. For more information and to apply for an FYI scholarship, please call 847.579.3101 or email scholarships@pdhp.org.
All scholarships are awarded based on the need and availability of funds. Upon submission of a grant request, families will be notified in 15 working days of their status.
Back open and now with pickleball! The three hard surface tennis courts at Sunset Woods Park were patched, colored, and striped this month and are now open for play. Additionally, two of the three courts are now lined for pickleball. Those wishing to play pickleball can adjust the net height with the center strap.
On July 27, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated its COVID-19 guidance in light of the rapidly spreading COVID-19 Delta variant across the country. The Delta variant appears to be more transmissible than other variants, and, most importantly, appears to be transmissible even from individuals who are fully vaccinated.
Though Lake County currently has moderate transmission rates, the Park District is working closely with the county, state, and local authorities. And, we will take immediate action should transmission rates increase to substantial or high in our areas, or stricter guidance comes from the Illinois Department of Public Health. As always, your health and safety are our top priority, and we will keep you updated as the situation evolves.
For updates on the Park District’s response to COVID-19, click here.
With over 700 acres of land, 45 parks, four beaches and nine facilities, the Park District of Highland Park is one of the largest and certainly one of the most diverse districts in Illinois.
View a summary of the Park District’s progress in 2020, in our Annual Report.
On Saturday February 22, the third ranked Syracuse Orange Man (8-3 overall record) defeated number one ranked Michigan (9-1 overall record) to win the NCAA Boys Grades 3-4 Championship. The final score was 24-19. The Syracuse team is coached by Richard Goldberg
and Tyler Kraines.
Other winning teams in the league are:
3rd Place Winner: #2 Ohio State (7-4) winning against #4 Notre Dame (5-6) 29-17
5th Place Winner: #7 Wake Forest (3-7) winning against #5 Indiana (3-7) 30-27
Syracuse Team Photo:
First row (left to right): Asher Goldberg, Reese Luczkowiak, Chase Horwitch, Gavin Felsenthal, Jace Marrone
Second row (left to right): Phineas Lewis, Max Rothbart, Mason Seiffer
Third row (left to right): Coach Richard Goldberg, Coach Tyler Kraines
The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the Park District of Highland Park by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR) for the 2018 fiscal year. This is the 30th year in a row that the district has received this recognition. The Certificate of Achievement Award is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
“This award demonstrates the Park District of Highland Park’s continued commitment to ensure our CAFR is thorough and provides the information required for a full assessment of the district’s financial strength,” said Park District of Highland Park Executive Director Brian Romes.
The Park District of Highland Park CAFR was judged by an impartial panel and meets the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive “spirit of full disclosure” to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR. The Certificate Program was established by the GFOA in 1945. It was instituted to encourage all governments to prepare and publish an easily readable and understandable financial report.
The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association advancing excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 20,500 government finance professionals and the communities they serve.
Did you know that every winter, weather permitting, the Park District creates a skating area at Sunset Woods Park? Starting in November, Parks crew members construct the outer shell of what will become the hockey rink. That process typically takes two to three days to complete. Then it is a waiting game for Mother Nature to deliver five consecutive days of below-freezing temperatures for the ground to become hard enough to begin creating the ice.
Crews spray water over the frozen ground 24 hours a day over five to six days to create the thick ice floor for the hockey rink and adjacent family skating rink. To ensure the ice rinks are safe and skater ready, crews inspect, spray, and groom the rinks daily.
Building and maintaining our outdoor rinks is a labor of love for our Park District. It supports our mission to provide Highland Park with healthy outdoor recreational opportunities all year long. Ice skating has been shown to reduce stress and improves cardiovascular and muscular fitness for all ages. And, skating outdoors, especially in the sunlight and fresh air, provides a boost from the winter blues.
Other great outdoor winter activities at the Park District:
The Parks Foundation of Highland Park is raising funds for a new
state-of-the-art Youth Golf Development and Short Game Center
at Sunset Valley Golf Club.
This unique facility, typically only seen at private clubs and learning centers, will be Highland Park’s primary center for youth short game skill instruction and development and the practice facility for all Sunset Valley’s valued golfers.
The new center will feature:
We are already more than halfway to our goal of fully funding this project!
