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Article by Elena Ferrarin
Communications Coordinator
Northbrook Park District
The Northbrook Park District was recently awarded two prestigious “Best of the Best” awards from the Illinois Association of Park Districts opens in new tab.
The Arts in the Park award recognizes support for the arts and partnerships with artists and organizations to enhance the quality of life in the community.
The Best Green Practices award recognizes initiatives to incorporate and encourage environmentally friendly business practices and policies.
“We are deeply honored and humbled to receive this award,” Northbrook Park District Executive Director Chris Leiner said at the awards ceremony last month.
Northbrook Park District Superintendent of Arts and Recreation Erin Sweet thanked the community and the park district’s board of commissioners for their support. “We love what we do, and we love that we get to do it.”
Arts in the Park Award
From staples like the Tuesdays in the Park free summer concerts to the success of Paint the Prairie, a new event that combined art and nature, the Northbrook Park District has a year-round calendar filled with arts-related offerings for all interests and age groups.
That includes summer camps for theater and visual arts; classes in ceramics, painting, drawing, sewing, culinary arts and more; private lessons in piano, voice and dance; introductory music classes for children; dance classes including ballet, tap, jazz and musical theater; and theatre and drama classes.
Offerings for seniors include tap dance classes, trips to Marriott Theatre and Drury Lane Theatre, and luncheons featuring musical performances. The Northbrook Park District also runs the highly successful Northbrook Theatre, whose performances sold more than 10,700 tickets this past year. A new ticketed event was a Performing Arts Showcase that featured dance and theater performances from park district class participants.
Many Northbrook Park District community events incorporate the arts, such as Autumnfest in October and Grapes on the Green in June.
Additionally, the Northbrook Park District is committed to reducing barriers and making art opportunities accessible with a scholarship program that awards over $40,000 annually to individuals with financial need.
Working with Youth Services of Glenview/Northbrook opens in new tab, the park district offers a scholarship program so families in need can have access to our recreational programs.
Best Green Practices Award
The Northbrook Park District demonstrates unwavering commitment to researching and incorporating the most up-to-date green practices in its operations and long-term planning.
Techny Prairie Activity Center remains a Net Zero Energy Building thanks to its 833 rooftop solar panels, even after the park district added two hours of running time to its HVAC systems for the comfort of patrons.
The park district contributed to the community’s environmental education with an “Oaktober” table at Autumnfest, an exhibit during the Village of Northbrook opens in new tab’s first Climate Action Day, and distribution of free park cleanup kits and oak saplings during Earth Month.
This year, the park district has embarked on research-based environmental long-term planning for urban forest management, irrigations systems and lake management.
About two acres of green space are converted into native areas every year, and prestigious Audubon certification is maintained for Heritage Oaks Golf Club and two community park locations.
Additionally, the park district continually strives to increase its use of environmentally friendly equipment including an electric fleet vehicle, electric robots for field striping, mowing and golf ball picking, and a hybrid reel mower.