Streator ready to illuminate for Christmas

Keeping Christmas Close to Home enters its 18th season

The Grey Thunder Percherons march through the lighted parade Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, during the Keeping Christmas Close to Home celebration in Streator.

In the matter of a 10-second countdown Saturday, Streator’s City Park will be transformed from darkness into an illuminated winter wonderland.

The city will celebrate its 18th annual Keeping Christmas Close to Home event, featuring the park light up, a lighted parade through downtown, carriage rides, a vendors market, and new this year, live ice sculpting.

The 18-member Light Up Streator committee has spent every weekend since Halloween hanging lights and putting up displays for the big reveal at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The committee also decorated six blocks of Main Street, City Hall and the fire station.

Visitors wander through City Park in Streator after it was illuminated Saturday, Nov. 27, by the Light Up Streator committee.

There will be new decorations made by the Streator High School welding class unveiled at the countdown.

Following the Light Up Streator event at City Park, the Lighted Christmas Parade will make its way down Main Street at 7 p.m., starting on Illinois Street, then north on Park Street to City Park. Santa, along with traditional characters provided by Ace Hardware, is expected to make his regular appearance.

Last year there were 40 floats, and Heather Patterson, who coordinates the event, expects a similar number this year. The lighted floats will be mostly done by community businesses but will include a few rented floats as well.

New to this year’s event will be the chainsaw ice carving from 2 to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park. One of the sculptures will include an opening for faces for photo opportunities.

Several vendors will be set up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Park Place, 406 E. Hickory St.; Bruce Township Hall, 216 N. Sterling St.; and the Streator Incubator, 401 W. Bridge St.

“It’s a variety, whatever kind of craft they would like to display,” said Karyn Dzurison, who coordinates the vendors. In the past, the vendor fair has included Christmas decor, wreaths, clothes, candy, beef jerky, candles, woodwork, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, jams and other items.

Dzurison said vendors come from all over to participate, including the Chicago area, Peoria and cities within the Illinois Valley.

The model train display will return to the Streator Incubator. There will be more than 100 feet of model train track set. Visitors will be able to follow multiple trains down the tracks as they pass through handmade customized towns, businesses, hills and valleys, including some modeled to look like Streator. Dig Doug’s BBQ is sponsoring the event.

Food trucks will be set up at the Streator Incubator from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at City Park from 5 to 9 p.m. for shoppers looking for a bite to eat.

Carriage rides will be available 8 to 9:30 p.m. at City Park.

Several downtown Streator businesses will be open at later hours.

Additionally, the memorial wreaths were placed in the City Park. The wreaths are put on display in remembrance of lost loved ones. The tradition began five years ago when Streator resident Jim Pellino’s 23-year-old grandson Cody Simons died.

“We wanted to do something for other people who had lost children or a family member,” Pellino said. “It started off with about 10 (wreaths) and it’s gone up from there.”

If visitors are wondering just how many Christmas lights will illuminate downtown Streator during Keeping Christmas Close to Home?

“Thousands, thousands, thousands,” organizer Joe Richards said.

The lighted parade makes its way down Main Street in Streator during the Keeping Christmas Close to Home festivities Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.

Keeping Christmas Close to Home schedule

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Model train display, Streator Incubator, 301 W. Bridge St.

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Vendor markets, Park Place, 406 E. Hickory St.; Bruce Township Hall, 216 N. Sterling St.; and the Streator Incubator

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Food trucks at Streator Incubator

2 to 4 p.m.: Ice sculptures, Heritage Park

5 to 9 p.m.: Food trucks at City Park

6:30 p.m.: Light Up Streator, City Park

7 p.m.: Lighted Christmas Parade

8 to 9:30 p.m.: Carriage rides, City Park

A lighted semi-tractor makes its way through downtown Streator during Keeping Christmas Close to Home's Lighted parade Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021.