When the Village of Lake Bluff announced its Block 1 Streetscape Improvement Project in April, it gave the purpose in one line: "widening sidewalks, adding festoon lighting, and creating more gathering spaces to support your business and our community." That was a design goal, written in spring. On December 5 and 6, the busiest two days on the downtown calendar, East Scranton Avenue gets its first real winter test. The village is also coming into this season without the taproom at 16 East Scranton Avenue that hosted the block's gatherings for fifteen years.
This holiday weekend matters more than most because the new streetscape now has to do the gathering work that one business on the block used to do.
What a Million Dollars Changed on One Block
The project covers East Scranton Avenue from the train station to East Center Avenue and Walnut Avenue. The Village's project page set a $1 million budget and an April 15 to June 4 schedule, with the goal of finishing before the first Farmers Market. At a May 27 Board meeting, the Village reported the sidewalks complete and paving scheduled for the next day. Light poles, street furniture, planter pots and seat-wall materials were still on order, according to the Village's May 26 construction update.
By August 24, the Village Engineer told the Board of Trustees the project was "essentially complete except for punch-list work and installation of festoon light poles," and that the poles were "delayed about five months." The Village Administrator added that the Block One beautification, statue included, seemed well received. The engineer also thanked the contractor for keeping the new plantings alive through extreme heat with no rain. Those remarks are in the August 24 Board minutes.
So the wider sidewalks, the gathering spaces and the statue all made it through the summer. The weekend that sends the most foot traffic down this stretch is the first one of the season.
Saturday Moves Toward the Village Green
The Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce lists its annual "It's a Wonderful Life in Lake Bluff" for Saturday, December 5, and the Village of Lake Bluff is a listed partner. The day starts early, moves down Scranton Avenue in the afternoon and ends on the Green.
| Time | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. to noon | Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast with Santa, with Mrs. Claus | Grace United Methodist Church |
| Noon to 5:00 p.m. | Library festive fun, including a 9-hole mini golf course | Lake Bluff Public Library |
| 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Holiday Artisan & Craft Market | Scranton Avenue next to the Village Green |
| 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. | Holiday music | Downtown |
| 5:00 p.m. | Lighting of the Orbs | Lake Bluff Village Green |
Two details affect your plans. The pancake breakfast requires pre-registration through the Lake Bluff Park District. The library's mini golf is first come, first play, and the Chamber listing suggests arriving early. The Friends of Lake Bluff Library sponsor the course.
The artisan market runs for two hours, and the music overlaps its second hour. That puts the late-afternoon crowd on Scranton Avenue right before the 5 p.m. orb lighting. If you're shopping the market and want to see the lighting, you can stay on the street and walk to the Green when the music ends.
Sunday Starts at 127 East Scranton
On Sunday, December 6, the weekend moves indoors with the Lake Bluff History Museum's Holiday Home Tour. Tickets are $75, and the money supports a volunteer-run nonprofit. The museum's own planning notes cover what you need:
- Check-in is at the museum, 127 E. Scranton Ave. The printed program serves as your ticket and includes the tour map.
- The homes are open 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum's Holiday Boutiques are open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Morning check-in begins around 10:00 a.m., and the museum suggests getting coffee in town or browsing the boutiques before the homes open.
- Afternoon check-in begins around 1:30 p.m. Start by 3:00 p.m. to see every home.
- The tour is self-guided and not suitable for children. If it's wet, you'll get a bag to carry your shoes inside each home.
The museum also suggests visiting "downtown merchants, cafes and pubs for seasonal treats" between homes. Because every ticket holder checks in on East Scranton Avenue, Sunday's tour also funnels people onto the rebuilt block.
The Storefront Between Chapters
For fifteen years, a holiday weekend on this block would have included Lake Bluff Brewing Company at 16 East Scranton Avenue. Patch reported that the brewery had been there since March 2011 and that its last day was its annual Oktoberfest Block Party on September 12. According to Patch, the taproom had hosted weddings, graduations, baby showers, after-work gatherings and new-home celebrations. The owners thanked the Lake Bluff Public Library and the Lake Bluff History Museum, the two organizations behind this weekend's anchor events, for their years of working together. On October 1, the Lake Forest Journal reported that the owners were actively looking for a new space in the village.
The Village has since approved a new tenant for the address. In September, the Joint Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously recommended a special use permit for a sports-themed bar and restaurant there with a small menu cooked on site. Because of the building's limits, the kitchen would use a ventless hood. The applicant said the walls and structure would not change and described outdoor tables like the ones already there. On October 12, the Board of Trustees gave final approval to the special use permit and a liquor-license change for Bluff's Bar & Grill, LLC. It also approved an outdoor dining plan for the business, called Bluff's Pub in the October 12 minutes.
Under the outdoor dining terms, service generally runs from April 1 through November 30, and the Village can extend it administratively when the weather allows. The Board noted that these conditions match the ones other outdoor dining spots in the Central Business District operate under. That standard season ends five days before the holiday weekend begins. Village President Charlot described the pub as another venue that could support the community and Lake Bluff's role as a North Shore destination.
Where the Tables Are This Weekend
For coffee before the tour, a meal after the orb lighting, or a warm place between homes, these downtown spots are a short walk from the events:
- Hansa Coffee Roasters, 24 E. Scranton Ave.
- Maevery Public House, 20 E. Scranton Ave., which lists lunch, brunch, dinner and lounge hours.
- Half and Half Pizza, 77 E. Scranton Ave.
- The Otherdoor, 30 E. Center Ave.
- Inovasi, 28 E. Center Ave.
Hansa and Maevery are on East Scranton within a few doors of 16 East Scranton. On a weekend built around a street, that's where their seats are.
Families who can't make the first weekend have one more holiday event. The Lake Bluff Park District's calendar lists a holiday celebration on Saturday, December 12, with Santa and Mrs. Claus, gym activities, inflatables, a life-size snow globe, cookies and cocoa, and family reindeer games.
For your calendar, the order is the pancake breakfast in the morning, library mini golf from noon, the market and music on Scranton Avenue in the late afternoon, and the orb lighting on the Village Green at 5 p.m. on December 5. The Holiday Home Tour starts at 127 East Scranton on December 6, and the Park District's celebration follows on December 12.
East Scranton Avenue is the block Lake Bluff chose to rebuild around gathering, and its storefronts are a big part of what downtown feels like. If you own a home near it and want to know how that shows up in your home's value, Nicole Fabiano is glad to talk it through. Request a complimentary home valuation, and enjoy the orbs on the fifth.
