Central Avenue Lost Its Carousel. Downtown Highland Park's Fall Now Runs on the Calendar.
At the end of September, a crew was hanging holiday lights on Central Avenue in the spot where the mini carousel used to be. When The Record North Shore checked the block on Sept. 28, the carousel was already gone. Some of the stained glass pieces and mosaics were still up. For years the carousel, a giraffe sculpture and the rest of the curbside decor were familiar sights for people walking downtown. Resident Amy Brooke Samuelsohn called the carousel a beloved Highland Park staple for generations.
The decor looked like part of the City's streetscape. It was actually one property owner's collection, and it ran on his electricity. Downtown has a full fall season ahead without it, and almost all of that season runs on dates, times and an address at Port Clinton Square.
The pieces belong to Larry Hillman, who The Record describes as a prolific local landlord. The City asked for them to be moved out of the public right of way for maintenance on Central Avenue, including the stretch between First Street and Green Bay Road. That work started Sept. 21. It included removing two trees and five stumps, repairing a water line and planting a new tree. Here's the full list of what had to come off the sidewalk:
Hillman told The Record he has powered the pieces from his own buildings for the past 20 years. He asked the City to take over the power. He says the City told him that would be too expensive or that there wasn't enough power to go around. City Manager Ghida Neukirch said the only City power on that block is the supply installed for the streetlights. She said it isn't enough to run the streetlights, the holiday lights and the carousel and decor together, so the City wants Hillman to keep powering his pieces.
The two sides describe the talks differently. Neukirch said the City has discussed possibly removing the decor for three years. Hillman said the talks have gone four months without a resolution. Hillman says that after four months of "nothing happened," he gave away the carousel, the giraffe, three fountains, four mosaic panels and the mosaic fountain. He said he felt "bummed out" about it. He also said he has put more than $40,000 into the pieces and has been getting calls and emails about their removal. The October report didn't say which communities received them.
This explains why the decor felt so permanent. It ran on a private building's electric meter, with no line item in the City's budget. As long as Hillman kept paying for the power, the carousel looked like a civic fixture.
The City's position is that items in the public right of way need City approval, and that when maintenance comes up, staff work with the property owner to remove the items and then put them back afterward. Neukirch said the City wants to work with Hillman on a public-private partnership. Hillman's account is that several key pieces are already gone, so if anything comes back, it will likely be a smaller set than before.
The City's own plans for the block are modest and seasonal. It reportedly plans to put evergreen boughs in planters in November, plant perennials in the spring and repair the holiday lights that need it. The City said it planned to have "everything ready" for the holiday season. The planters will change with the seasons. The carousel stayed the same all year. That gap is filled by the City's event calendar, which is now the busiest thing downtown.
The Scarecrow Trail runs through downtown. Stews & Brews, the Port Clinton Candy Stroll and the Holiday Lighting are all at Port Clinton Square, 600 Central Ave. The other two items are in the Ravinia District. All are listed on the City's Enjoy Highland Park site.
Through Saturday, Oct. 10: Downtown Scarecrow Trail. The third annual trail runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 10 and has more than 30 decorated scarecrows around downtown. Visitors vote for "Best in Show Scarecrow." The winner is announced at Stews & Brews, so the trail and the festival both end the same evening.
Saturday, Oct. 10, 4 to 9 p.m.: Stews & Brews. This is the festival's fifth year at Port Clinton Square. New for 2026 are more fire pits and heat towers, longer hours with children's programming from 4 to 6 p.m., and s'mores. With the earlier start, a family can come for the kids' hour and leave before the evening crowd arrives.
Wednesdays through Oct. 28, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Ravinia Farmers Market. The market is at 540 Roger Williams Ave. in the Ravinia District, with seasonal produce, local vendors and live performances during the morning. Food Truck Thursdays at Jens Jensen Park ended Sept. 3.
Thursday, Oct. 29, 3 to 6 p.m.: Candy Stroll at Port Clinton. The listing includes fall decor, selfie stations, live music and trick-or-treating at local businesses.
Friday, Oct. 30: Ravinia District Candy Stroll at Jens Jensen Park. The event's own page lists 3:30 to 5 p.m. The Record's Sept. 30 Halloween roundup lists a 2:30 p.m. start. Check the event page the week of to confirm the start time.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 4 to 6 p.m.: 2026 Holiday Lighting. This is the closest replacement for what the carousel used to give the block, at least for one evening. The City's listing includes DJ Julian, Santa and Hanukkah Harry, photos with the menorah and a new America250 tree, an archway, a giant sleigh, an inflatable snow globe, the Frozen Robins Carolers, and free popcorn and hot cocoa. New this year, Olaf joins Anna and Elsa. Santa will hand out candy canes, and Hanukkah Harry will hand out gelt courtesy of Dynasty Coins, Jewelry & Collectibles. Kids can also write letters to the North Pole courtesy of Bright Bowls.
Taken together, there are two downtown evenings in October, two candy strolls at the end of the month, and one lighting ceremony in November. The planters will have evergreen boughs in them by then. Whether any of Hillman's remaining pieces are back on the sidewalk by Nov. 21 depends on talks that neither side had described as settled as of Oct. 1.
The newer restaurants on and near these blocks are similarly built around set nights and opening dates.
On First Street, Amy Morton's 1898 Speakeasy is open next to The Barn at 1900 First St. It's a 25-seat cocktail room that also hosts private events, and it's open Thursday through Saturday. On Stews & Brews Saturday, it's a short walk for a nightcap after the fire pits close at 9.
Norton's on Sheridan Road is still open and under new ownership. Founders Jeff Mages and Richie Holleb sold the restaurant to Highland Park resident David Rosenstein and partners Simon Leibovich and Jeff Poulsom. The handoff included a short closure over the July 4 weekend, with the restaurant set to reopen the following week.
Just north in Highwood, Highland Park native Todd Stein opened Juniper at 200 Green Bay Road on Aug. 25. The menu is modern American with a sushi program led by executive sushi chef Akira Yang. Avec Highwood, the restaurant's first location in the Chicago suburbs, is scheduled to open Oct. 29 at 250 Waukegan Ave. A private-events space next door is expected in spring 2027. That's the same Thursday as the Port Clinton Candy Stroll, so a family dinner reservation that evening would need to be in Highwood.
The Ravinia District has a longer timeline. On Oct. 5, City officials announced three food concepts from owners Serah and Kadir Cicek. Bean Bar, a daytime cafe that becomes MEZE in the evening, is planned for 565 Roger Williams Ave. A taqueria, EATACO, is planned for 597 Roger Williams Ave. Both are slated for 2027. Bean Bar and MEZE are targeted for spring or summer, and EATACO for winter. They're both a short walk from the Wednesday market at 540 Roger Williams. Until they open, the stretch between the market and the next candy stroll is still mostly empty storefronts.
If you're weighing a move into or around downtown Highland Park and want to know how Central Avenue's changes, the event calendar and these new restaurants look at street level, The Wexler Gault Group is based here and follows these blocks closely. Get a Complimentary Home Consultation, and we'll go through the downtown Highland Park details that matter to you.
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