City of La Salle announces holiday schedule

The city of La Salle announced it is set to kick off its annual Celebration of Lights on Nov. 16. The display will be placed at Rotary Park and will be available to view through New Year’s Day.

The drive-thru display will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. weekdays and Sundays and from 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and the week of the Christmas holiday.

The display is free to view, but donations are welcome to ensure the display can continue to grow in the future.

The celebration is now entering its eighth year and has been expanded to include more than 50 new displays because of the new path created between the baseball diamond and playground at the beginning of October.

Local schools will volunteer on certain nights, with a portion of the night’s donation total being given to the school.

Schools participating include St. Bede Academy on Nov. 17, Lighted Way on Nov. 24, Summit Learning on Nov. 30, Illinois Valley Community College on Dec. 1, La Salle Elementary on Dec. 8, Trinity Catholic on Dec. 15 and LaSalle-Peru High School on Dec 29.

Aside from the Celebration of Lights, the La Salle Business Association will sponsor holiday “pop-up shops” inside of Christmas huts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays beginning Nov. 28 and continuing through Dec. 20 at 540 First St. in La Salle.

The LBA will also plan Small Business Saturdays throughout La Salle, which will run from Nov. 27 through Dec. 20.

Every purchase made offers shoppers a chance to win a $125 Locally La Salle Gift Card each week. Participating businesses will be offering special promos or giveaways during this time.

Much like the Halloween event, businesses also will be decorating their storefronts and local students will be able to vote on their favorites.

The winner of the contest will receive a credit toward a light display in the 2021 Celebration of Lights. To sign your business up for the contest, call Leah Inman at 815-223-3755, ext. 5021.