News

Camps now accredited through 2030

A bizarre geographical oddity

Regarding an antisemitic incident on October 7.

New three-level play structure installed

Hansen wins ‘Force of Nature Award’

Featuring 18 bands, a carnival and more!

Your opinions will help shape the future of the park district.

Bob DeLeonardis hangs up his cleats

Strangelove replaces Jesus Jones as Saturday headliner

Aberman elected president, Jaffe vice-president

Skokie's Backlot Bash will be back this summer, and we have the lowdown on every band!

Becomes fourth district facility to go solar

Skokie board member's work transcended local service

23 years of excellence since 1998

Devonshire duo will attend conference for free

Beloved commissioner passes away

TLC receives ExceleRate Illinois' Gold Circle of Quality

Eighth park now hosts a composting drop off site

Devonshire Aquatic Center and Weber Leisure Center install solar panels

Board appoints new commissioner

Join us for a public meeting, Aug. 27 at 6 p.m.

District honors retired board member with park name

Candidate packets will be available for four positions on the district's board

A history of the music acts that have played at Skokie's Backlot Bash since 2007.

District honors ancestral homelands of Tribal Nations

11-time president leaves a legacy of leadership

Horticulture crew to plant 20 trees in Winnebago Park

The Skokie Park District is proud to employ two women in the industry

Board of commissioners elects its new officers at the May 2024 annual meeting.

Six new outdoor courts are ready for play!

SPD takes the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

Board appoints two new members after two-month search

The National Academy for Early Childhood Accreditation (NAEYC) has once again awarded the Skokie Park District's Tot Learning Center (TLC) its prestigious five-year accreditation, now renewed through August 2029.

Arrested Development and Tonic to headline Backlot Bash!

The district won first place in the state "Give Us Your Best Shot" photo contest today.

Featuring an Indoor golf simulator

Land acknowledgement first on the agenda

Hamlin Park playground rebuilt in Armenian village

SPD takes the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

Board of commissioners elects its new officers at the May 2023 annual meeting.

Skokie voters return two of their current park commissioners to office

Mary Amato to assist with recreation division oversight

Eve 6, Blessid Union of Souls, Sponge to headline Backlot Bash!

Renovation set for 2024

Award-winning photographer brings exhibit to the park district

Wins national award at aquatics conference

District wins second award for website in four years

Skokie Fine Arts Commission recognizes park district arts program.

Skokie park receives international accreditation as an arboretum.

TrackMan Range is here!

Find thrills, chills and fun for all ages in October.

The Bash is back with new musicians, a carnival and much more!

Open space grant will improve northeast side park

New park feature a hit on first day

Lynn Seebacher retires as HR director.

Supervisor modernized the district's landscape for the future.

25,000 expected at 30th annual diversity event

When the Skatium Ice Arena opened in October 1973, 11-year-old Steve Glickman was the first skater on the ice. Now, nearly fifty years later, he is retiring as the Skokie Park District’s hockey director.​

The Devonshire Cultural Center harnesses the power of the sun!

Vaccine requirement and mask mandate will be lifted as of Monday, February 28.

The Skokie Park District won first prize for its Short Form Video today at the Illinois Park & Recreation Association's state conference...

Check out the Skokie Park District's 2021 Year-in-Review video!

Board President Susan Aberman was recently honored for her 20 years of service to the Skokie Park District...​

Skatium Ice Arena will be closed March 2 to September 12, 2022

The Skokie Park District has been recognized as an Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency.

Village honors park district

Peccia Park is ready for some fun!

Results of the Backlot Dash 5K and Kids' Run...

A public meeting was held on August 10 to discuss Central Park improvements.

Skokie's Backlot Bash organizers today revealed the full music lineup for the Bash, August 27-29

Five employees have been appointed to positions at the district.

Ezra Jaffe has been chosen as the board’s fifth commissioner

Mary Oshana was sworn in as the newest Skokie Park District commissioner at this month's annual meeting of the Skokie Park District park board...

The district won third place in a state photo contest last week, with the photo entitled “Paralympian Travis Dodson” winning the prize in the contest's sports category...

The district’s park services division is creating new methods for offsetting renovation costs and giving back to the community.

Work is now complete on the installation of 44 solar panels on the roof of the Emily Oaks Nature Center.​

Portions of nine district parks are undergoing upgrades this spring...

The $2.5 million grant will offset a large percentage of the district’s $4.5 million capital project cost.

Honored as the best of the best among park and grounds professionals...

District recognized for fostering diversity and inclusion within their community...

The Skokie Park District will increase capacities for some reserved programming...

The 2020 Year in Review video offers a look at a year that made our staff stretch themselves in ways they never imagined...

Laramie Park's Caleb Field, is now the first synthetic turf ball field in the US to feature a technology that reduces turf temps by up to 50 degrees...

On behalf of Niles Township partners, we remind you that it’s more important than ever to practice the 3 Ws...

Rise in COVID-19 cases results in new state requirements...

Board president Mike Reid was honored for his 15 years of service on the board...

A public dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the park is set for Sunday, September 27...

One seat on the five-member Skokie Park District Board of Commissioners will be filled at the April 6, 2021 election...

Dr. Amelia Louise Klehm Park was dedicated Wednesday, with her cousin Eileen Harms Faut in attendance...​

See updates for facilities, parks, and programs here ...

Breanne Labus was recently chosen as the new superintendent of recreation for the Skokie Park District...​

Jon Marquardt was recently appointed as the superintendent of facilities for the Skokie Park District...​

Skokie Park District updates as the district operates within Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan...​

The Skokie Water Playground is set to open in mid-July, after pool management hire and train staff, fill the pools and ready the facility to be safe for all customers during the current pandemic.

The district introduced its new Integrated Pest Management Plan today, which was developed in order to set maintenance standards for the care of turf throughout the district’s open parkland space...

Staff today made the difficult decision to cancel all planned first session Summer Camps, tentatively replacing them with a limited number of new Summer Care programs for ages 4-13...

The district’s board of commissioners voted last night to name its Oakton-Lorel property after Skokie’s first female physician, Dr. A. Louise Klehm...

The Skokie Park District Board of Commissioners unanimously elected Mike Reid as its president and Khemarey Khoeun as its vice president...

In lieu of attending a festival this weekend, please enjoy this virtual tour of three decades of the Skokie Festival of Cultures...

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Village of Skokie and Skokie Park District officials...

New guidelines for district tennis courts...

The Skokie Park District’s 9-hole Weber Park Golf Course will open on Friday, May 1, with COVID-19 restrictions...​

Governor Pritzker has extended the stay-at-home order for all Illinois residents through May 30...

The status of special events and programs listed in the Summer Program Guide remain very fluid...

Three popular May events in Skokie have been cancelled or postponed...

Announcing the launch of a fundraising campaign to help our Skokie neighbors in need...

Skokie police to enforce the Skokie Park District’s policy of non-usage of all park playgrounds and basketball courts...

The district has disabled the goals and nets on all park basketball courts, in order to discourage group play...

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker today issued a “stay at home” order for the entire state...

We know that our parks provide a great source of relief for all of our residents...

​The Skokie Park District has announced the rollout of its new five-year comprehensive master plan...​

The Skokie Park District won first prize for its website and for a sports photo today at the Illinois Park & Recreation Association's state conference...

Through a letter, express support for the Skokie Park District’s application for a state grant to renovate the Skatium Ice Arena...

Broadway World Chicago recently nominated two of Devonshire Playhouse’s own for their work in ‘Pippin’...​

Skokie Park District’s Board of Commissioners adds the word “inclusiveness” to the district’s core values...​

Michelle Tuft has been named the new executive director of the Skokie Park District...

After the completion of its annual summer financial audit, the Skokie Park District today released its 2018-18 Annual Report, detailing its work during the fiscal year ending on April 30, 2019.

Join us for a County Fair, Scream Scene, Still Super, Halloween happenings and more...

CRI associates and Skokie volunteers separated organic food waste from all other waste, including recyclables...​

Oakton Park came alive Sunday with entertainment, music, food, vendors and four hours of attendees covering each other in colors...

In 2019, record crowds took advantage of beautiful, cool sunny days, relaxing and thrilling to original live music, and enjoying the spectacular transitory amusement park...

The Skokie Park District has begun a five-year comprehensive planning process, with the help of Hitchcock Design Group...

Skokie Park District staff released a new version of the Laramie Park renovation plan today...

Skokie Park District officials shared their newest plan for the 2020 Laramie Park renovation at a public hearing this week...

At a public hearing this week, the district unveiled plans for the late summer replacement of the playgrounds and amenities at Chippewa & Mulford Park...

Join us for pancakes, concerts, movies and golf

Sydney O’Hare was recently hired as the Skokie Heritage Museum’s program coordinator...

Corrie Guynn was recently hired as the district’s new superintendent of parks for the Skokie Park District ...

New commissioners sworn in, board appoints officers

This year’s event features one of the Bash’s strongest-ever musical lineups from top to bottom...

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners approved an amendment to the district’s animal and pet ordinance at their monthly meeting last night, immediately allowing dogs on leashes on Skokie Park District property, with some restrictions.

The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to the Skokie Park District ...

Update: Residents of Skokie may now give feedback to the attached Proposed new Dogs in Parks Ordinance, no later than April 1 at 9 a.m...

Michael Van Den Bosch was recently hired as the Skokie Park District’s Exploritorium and events supervisor...​

Mary Amato has now been hired to serve as the Weber Center’s new recreation services supervisor...

After many months of community and staff input and a large, complicated building project, the Skokie Park District’s new website, still found at skokieparks.org, went live today...

Skokie's Backlot Bash, now in its thirteenth year, announced its 2019 headliners today, three of nineteen live acts that will play on two street stages over three days, August 23-25...

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced yesterday that the Skokie Park District’s Laramie Park will receive a $400,000 grant, one of 89 Open Space Lands Acquisition and Development (OSLAD) grants rewarded statewide.​

(2.1.19) Skokie Park District Commissioners Susan Aberman and Khemarey Khoeun were recently recognized for their new status as 'master board members' by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD).​

Mike Reid, vice president of the Skokie Park District Board of Commissioners, was recently elected to the Illinois Association of Park Districts’ (IAPD) Board of Trustees...

Coinciding with the recent centennial of Poland's independence, "Coming Together" events will celebrate Polish culture

When the Weber Leisure Center found its facility manager position suddenly vacant in December, the Skokie Park District looked to fill the position with an expert in recreation and program management...​

The Skokie Valley Trail added another unique feature last week to its ever-expanding path, with the Skokie Park District installing an exercise station along the trail...

Angie Sakellaris was recently hired as the Skokie Park District’s school age program supervisor.

Earn extra income while helping your community! The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting now ...

When the Skokie Park District staff diversity committee began meeting in 2016, the first idea they agreed upon was to create a piece of art for the renovated Weber Leisure Center lobby, welcoming their customers in many languages...

Breanne Labus, recreation services supervisor, presented a certified education session titled "Engagement: The Key to Rocking Your Staff Training" at the national conference ...

As part of the Skokie Park District's five year master plan, planning for the 2019-20 redevelopment of Laramie Park has begun ...

The Skokie Park District partnered with several local groups recently, which led to the August dedication of three new and important district amenities...

Less than a year ago, Skokie residents and neighbors of Schack Park helped choose the design for a new state-of-the-art Schack playground. On Monday, July 23 at 11 a.m., the new playground will be ...​

Try out unique activities throughout the Skokie Park District every day in July and win fabulous prizes! ...

The five-members of the board of park commissioners are elected by the residents of Skokie and are responsible for setting policies and procedures that best benefit the park district and community.

Join the Skokie Police Department at their National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 7, 2018, from 5–9 p.m. at the Skokie Park District's Oakton Park, 4701 Oakton St...

Skokie's first "Holi: Festival of Colours" was off the charts!

Skokie's Arbor Day celebration will include two tree planting ceremonies at Devonshire Park on Thursday, April 26...

Skokie Park District staff will take to the corner of Church and Gross Point on Friday, April 27, from 10:30-10:50 a.m...

You can now post and view park district photos taken by Skokie area residents at Flickr.com.

Skokie Police responded quickly this morning to a loud explosion at the Devonshire Cultural Center and its preschool at 4400 Greenwood St.

Now that winter has finally arrived, visitors to the Emily Oaks Nature Center will enjoy an evening of outdoor ice skating under the stars (weather permitting) and a cozy indoor chili dinner, overlooking the pond.

Since 2010, "Coming Together" has sought to build knowledge of and appreciation for the diversity represented in Skokie and Niles Township.

But for a few finishing touches, the renovation of the Weber Leisure Center and Fitness First is complete! Please join us on Sunday, February 4 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for our Grand Reopening. The event will feature a ribbon cutting, and fun for the whole family, including children's entertainment, youth classes, birthday party activities, free Fitness First access and free group exercise samplers. Additionally, visitors may win a birthday party or program discounts.

After receiving authorization from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), the Skokie Park District is now growing grass on 6.5 acres of the recently-remediated 17.4 acre MWRD property at McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street, with the intention of programming soccer and cricket.

Every fall, the Weber Leisure Center gymnasium floor is re-varnished in order to prepare it for heavy use during busy winter months. Because a strong odor lingers for a few days after varnishing, the following precautions are taken annually to reduce the odor:

At this week’s park district monthly Board of Commissioners meeting, the local Liponi Foundation honored the Skokie Park District for its long-term commitment to special recreation.

As the renovation of the Weber Leisure Center was being discussed a few years back, facility manager Emily Guynn knew that structural change was not the only transformation needed. General early childhood and youth programming was also lacking at the facility.

Having earned a reputation since 2007 for quality, original live music, as well as a host of unique family attractions — Skokie's summer street festival, Skokie's Backlot Bash, is only days away and is expected to draw thousands to downtown Skokie on the weekend of Aug. 25-27.

The Skokie Heritage Museum and Devonshire Playhouse proudly present "The Miracle Worker," the award-winning classic featuring the true story of blind and deaf Helen Keller's volatile relationship with the teacher that finally rescues her from a dark, tortured silence.

A variety of Schack Park playground designs were presented to the public by Skokie Park District staff and project consultants at a hearing Tuesday evening at the Skatium Ice Arena. The meeting was well attended with several residents providing project input.

South Bend, Indiana's Cult West Warriors won their second straight world championship today, finishing 8-0 over the weekend at the Skokie Park District's Channelside Park.

In August 2016, the Skokie Park District proactively hired Environmental Monitoring and Technologies, Inc. (EMT) to test its facility drinking water fountains for lead content.

Even after a 1993 renovation, the Skokie Park District long ago outgrew its 1956 Park Services Center on Skokie Boulevard. Now, after having searched for a suitable replacement for many years, the district has finally found a property that will serve the district well into its future.

If you are a Skokie resident and you find yourself in a small mountain village outside of Vanadzor, Armenia, and you happen to wander past a park playground that looks familiar, you probably have actually seen it before.

After receiving community input from neighbors of Winnebago Park in June 2016 and again in December 2016, the Skokie Park District will celebrate the park's playground renovation with a grand opening, tonight at 6:30 p.m.

The Devonshire Dance Competition Team took six awards recently at Milwaukee’s three day National Rainbow Dance Competition, the new team’s first-ever major competition, pitting them against dance companies with much larger and more experienced teams.

On Sunday, former Blackhawk Jamal Mayers made a surprise visit to the "Little Blackhawks" class, participating in skills groups, and giving the kids photo ops and signing autographs.

Skokie Park District Commissioners Mike Reid and Maureen “Moe” Yanes were recently recognized for their new status as “master board members” by the Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD).

The website "Best of Illinois" has named their best ice skating rinks in Illinois and the Skatium Ice Arena comes in at #4. Congrats to manager Frank Gallagher and his Skokie Park District rink staff for the honor!

Chicago's North Shore Convention and Visitor's Bureau recently mentioned the Skokie Parks District's Exploritorium as one of "7 Ways to Keep Kids Entertained This Winter" on its website.

The hint comes that something might be different at the Oakton Community Center when you see the unique “Exploritorium” sign on the outside of the building and again at the top of the lobby stairs. After paying the modest admission and proceeding down those stairs, you enter a large modern open space. And while not exactly Disney World, a young child will most certainly be enthralled after laying eyes on the venue’s five distinct play areas.

Located on the grounds of the the Skokie Park District's Tot Learning Center (TLC) since 2011, The Talking Farm is an urban farm providing more than a place to grow food. It is a source of jobs, internships, and volunteer projects. It’s a living classroom for the community and for the children at TLC, a community kitchen, and a source of beauty.

Leisure-time physical activity is associated with longer life expectancy, even at relatively low levels of activity and regardless of body weight, according to a study by a team of researchers led by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. The study found that people who engaged in leisure-time physical activity had life expectancy gains of as much as 4.5 years.​

A recent Illinois Association of Park Districts (IAPD) report contains impressive information regarding the role of Illinois park districts as a significant employer and contributor to the local economy, as well as highlighting the park district's efforts to rely on self-sustaining revenue options as a way to limit dependency on local property taxes.

The Westfield Old Orchard mall outdoor ice rink opens for the winter on Friday, November 25!

After waiting their entire lives for this moment, children at Tot Learning Center celebrated the recent Cubs' world championship with their own victory parade.

In the summer of 2000, the Skokie Park District, in conjunction with Evanston Township School District 65, oversaw the installation of a "big toys wooden playground" structure at Bessie Rhodes Magnet School, located next to Timber Ridge Park. This playground served both the public and Rhodes School for sixteen years.

In August 2016, the Skokie Park District proactively hired Environmental Monitoring and Technologies, Inc. (EMT) to test its facility drinking water fountains for lead content.

Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier, national silver medalists and world championship team members, stopped by the Skatium Ice Arena for a ‘meet and greet’ today, signing autographs for 240 figure skaters from Central and Northern Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin. In addition, Susie Wynn, former Olympian and television figure skating commentator, choreographed two numbers for two groups of 120 young skaters (each).

The Devonshire Playhouse presents their production of the Stephen Sondheim musical "A Little Night Music." Sondheim creates a stunning tour de force when he takes Ingmar Bergman's comedy of manners, "Smiles of a Summer Night," and turns it into a musical of masterful execution and elegance. A winner of four Tony Awards, this is a musical work that has forever entranced the world of theater.

When Fouzia Khan took over as manager of the district's Tot Learning Center (TLC) in 2003, she knew that the promotion of diversity was at the core of — not only what the Skokie Park District stood for — but of vital importance in the Village of Skokie, a community in which more than 100 languages are spoken in resident homes.

But for a little bit of rain on Saturday morning, this year's Backlot Bash crowds were bigger than ever, making the ten-year-old event one of the most successful since its inception in 2007.

Skokie's Backlot Bash 2016 is only two weeks away and is expected to be one of the community's biggest and best family festivals ever!

Skokie has a national reputation in many areas — from its award-winning public library, park district, and village services — to its sculpture park, festivals and holocaust museum. And for those who lace up hockey or figure skates, the Skatium Ice Arena is known around the country as one of the top facilities for ice skating programs and events.

In 1987, a group of South Bend, Indiana high schoolers went all the way to the final game of the World Wiffle®Ball Championship. That team, 'The Westsiders,' the next year renamed themselves Cult West, a team that passed on their wiffleball prowess to two subsequent generations of teams over the next 30 years. Yesterday, that team, now the Cult West Warriors, finally realized their dream of a world championship, knocking off perennial power 'Funky Plastic Offspring,' 4-3, in a defensive gem at ​

The Skokie Park District tentatively plans to retool its 2011 website in 2017 and its users are invited to give their feedback regarding its functionality.

When a young parent enrolls their little one in an early childhood class at the Devonshire Cultural Center, it is often the first time the child spends a considerable amount of time away from their family. Chris Thalhammer fully understands these life-changing moments, having served the families of hundreds of Skokie’s preschoolers for more than 28 years.

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners announced its new officers last night at the May 2016 regular and annual meeting.

Skokie Park District officials announced today that plans to renovate the 17-acre property at the corner of McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street are now on hold.

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners said goodbye to its president, swore in two recently-elected members, and then elected its new officers at Tuesday's May 2017 regular and annual meetings.​

When park district athletic director Bob DeLeonardis was growing up, the four major professional American sports were practically the only games in town. Now, the Skokie Park District’s offerings look like the town’s population: tremendously diverse, unique and exciting.

With the 17 acres of land directly east of Skokie Sports Park now environmentally sound after a three-year cleanup, the Skokie Park District board of commissioners last night moved one step closer to approving a final plan for the property’s development.

The Chicago Figure Skating Club’s Chicago Jazz won the gold medal at last weekend’s 'Spring Cup' International Synchronized Ice Skating Competition in Milan, Italy.

Join others from Skokie in three Racial Justice Forums to talk about the ways race and ethnicity impact life in Skokie. Sponsored by the YWCA Evanston/North Shore, Village of Skokie Human Relations Commission, and the Skokie Park District.

Chicago Parent magazine online just named The Exploritorium one of the "12 best play places in Chicago," calling it a "true find."

After nearly three years of environmental cleanup work, the 17.4-acre piece of land on the southwest corner of McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street will soon be ready for development by the Skokie Park District.

For visitors who have viewed the Exploritorium on the Skokie Park District web site, or mapped the popular children’s imagination playground on Google Maps, they can now take a 360° photo tour of the facility, allowing them to see what they are going to experience before they ever step inside.

The Oakton Community Center will soon be transformed into a miniature Times Square, complete with a DJ, balloon artist, crafts, games, prizes, a family entertainer, and a “countdown to noon” balloon drop.​

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners approved a $3-4 million renovation plan for the 20-year-old Weber Leisure Center and Fitness First health club at their regular November meeting last week.

Perhaps Skokie's most unique children's destination, The Exploritorium, the park district's imagination playground located in the Oakton Community Center, just launched a dedicated new website for its customers at www.Exploritorium.org.

Jill Shellabarger, the director of the parks district's award-winning Still Acting Up senior theater troupe, retired today after the group's final staging of their 2015 show, "Hi-Tech." Shellabarger directed the troupe for more than a decade. She will continue to work as an actor in and around Chicago, bringing her unique talents to the stage, screen and radio. As a tribute to Shellabarger, the park district is re-running a story featured on this website in June 2014. Good luck, Jill!

Join WCIU's legendary scary television host, Svengoolie, at the Skatium Ice Arena’s Halloween public skate and costume contest on Friday, October 30, from 7-9 p.m.

Now in its ninth year, original music will again take center stage at Skokie's Backlot Bash

As the dedication ribbon fell today, screams and shouts rang out as more than 100 Middleton school children rushed onto their new Skokie playground.

In 2005, the Blue Ribbon Builders won a record seventh World Wiffleball Championship. Since that day, only three teams have won the title: Club Ripped and Funky Plastic Offspring (four times each), and Balco Boys (twice).

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners announced its new officers at the May 2015 regular and annual meeting.

Golf’s quirky out-of-town cousins will take up residency in Skokie on June 5, making the Weber Park Golf Course a versatile new recreational destination for residents and visitors alike.

The Skokie Festival of Cultures hosted a record 35,000 attendees over the weekend.

The 25th Annual Skokie Festival of Cultures presents a free international short film festival, tonight at Oakton Park in Skokie, from 8-10 p.m.

When author Josh Pahigian set about writing “101 Baseball Places to See Before You Strike Out,” he decided to create a book that featured locales other than major league ballparks. Some of the sites were givens. Baseball museums, the Field of Dreams movie set, Babe Ruth’s grave, and several Chicago destinations: #29 Wrigleyville, #48 Billy Goat Tavern, and #55, the Black Sox Courthouse.

The Skokie Tennis Association invites adult tennis players 18 and over to join this social mixed-doubles league on Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons at the Skokie Tennis Center, 8330 Niles Center Road.

At the January meeting of the Skokie Village Board, its trustees recognized two park district aquatic staff and two pool patrons for their lifesaving efforts at the Devonshire Aquatic Center on August 15, 2014.

The 2015 Skokie Festival of Cultures was recently awarded a $5,200 arts grant from the Illinois Arts Council. The event, organized by the Skokie Park District, the Village of Skokie and the Skokie Public Library, is one of the premier ethnic festivals in Illinois, having attracted more than 430,000 attendees and dozens of cultures since 1991, all representing Skokie's tremendous diversity.

The Skatium Ice Arena will officially announce its hockey Legacy Class of 2014 on December 16 at 6 p.m., in a ceremony at the venerable Skokie Park District rink. The new legends names will be engraved in brick and laid into the Skatium’s outdoor legacy brickyard.

As part of an agreement between School District 219, the Skokie Park District, the Morton Grove Park District and Lincolnwood Parks & Recreation, Niles North High School's new $15 million state-of-the-art aquatic center is now offering community open & lap swimming on Tuesdays & Thursdays, beginning January 6, 2015 from 8:15-9:15 p.m. Admission is $3 per person, or 10-visit cards for $27 and 20-visit cards for $40, all payable at the center.

While visitors to Skokie's 44 beautiful parks can certainly take a short stroll around almost all of them, eleven parks offer longer circular walking paths, which allow more serious walkers and hikers a chance to really stretch their legs.

Don your winter apparel and bring the whole family to downtown Skokie's Holiday Fest & Cookie Walk on Dec. 5, from 5 to 8 p.m. The celebration begins at event headquarters, located at the Skokie Heritage Museum, 8031 Floral Ave. To set the mood, the 'First Fridays' event will feature live reindeer, elves, photos with Santa, carolers from Lincoln Junior High School, and much more.

HauntedIllinois.com, the clearing house for Illinois haunted houses, recently stopped by the parks district's Scream Scene and gave the event a nice review. Kudos to Corrie Guynn, Lisa Sullivan, Crystal VanHyning, and their staff and volunteers for creating a unique event again this year.

After the completion of its annual financial audit, the Skokie Park District today released its 2012-13 Annual Report, detailing its work during the fiscal year ending on April 30, 2014.

In the early to mid 1990s, as the Skokie Park District began the massive rebuild of its parks and facilities, district staff went to DuMor Site Furnishings in Mifflintown, Pa., and asked for a new custom park bench —one that would be sturdy, attractive, modern and eco-friendly.

When Mishawaka, Indiana's 'Funky Plastic Offspring' took their fourth World Wiffle®​Ball Championship on July 13 at Skokie's Channelside Park, ESPN had a camera there to shoot the final game. With footage in the can, the "worldwide leader in sports" featured the world's oldest and largest wiffleball tournament on SportsCenter on July 18, as part of their 'Summer of Champions' segment.

With biking becoming more popular every year — and park district residents looking for more bicycling opportunities — we offer the following links to Bike Routes in Skokie and Skokie's Bikeway System Plan, courtesy of the Village of Skokie's website.

Stop by your neighborhood Skokie park and meet the police officers who serve your community.

The Skokie Park District’s Jill Shellabarger is an accomplished veteran actor in Chicago's thriving theater scene and her voice has been heard in countless radio and television commercials. Her husband, actor Roger Mueller, was cited by the Chicago Tribune as one of Chicago theater’s “unsung heroes.” For the past decade, Jill has also made her mark as the director of the park district’s award-winning senior theater troupe, Still Acting Up.

The Skokie Park District board of commissioners announced its new officers at the May 2014 regular and annual meeting.

When United States Figure Skating (USFS) named its first “outstanding basic skills director” in the nation, they turned to the leader of one of the top programs in the country.

The public is cordially invited to the opening of the Weber Park Golf Course's gorgeous new butterfly garden on Friday, June 6, from noon to 1 p.m., located at the front entrance to the golf course, adjacent to the scenic patio area and Skatium Ice Arena.

The Skokie Park District recently received Level A accreditation status for 2013 from the Park District Risk Management Agency (PDRMA). Level A status is the highest award that can be earned through the agency's comprehensive safety and loss control review process, and is given to park districts that receive a score of 95% or higher during PDRMA's review process.

The Skokie Park District's marketing team today won 'Best in Show' for its first prize in the 'Brochure Series' category at the Illinois 'Agency Showcase' competition. The award recognizes the district creative team's work on its four 2013 seasonal program guides, which featured a retro look in celebration of the district's 85th anniversary.

For the third year in a row, the Skokie Park District's lifeguard staff has been awarded the 5-Star Aquatic Safety Award by Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI), the international leader in aquatic risk management.​

Steve Glickman may understand the enormity of last month’s USA hockey accomplishment better than anyone. Glickman is an Illinois hockey hall-of-famer, a three-time state champion coach, and has been the Skokie Park District’s hockey director for the better part of three decades. But perhaps most importantly, he is a former high school goalie, who at age 17, received an invitation and tried out for the legendary 1980 USA Olympic Hockey team.

Over the past several years, coyote sightings have become more prevalent within the Village of Skokie and surrounding communities, including the Devonshire Park area. Coyotes are generally timid and shy animals that tend to steer clear of any potential danger and, thus, pose little threat to humans. Statistics from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources cite attacks on humans as extremely rare.​

John Ohrlund, Skokie Park District executive director, and three of his tennis buddies christened the new and improved outdoor Skokie Park Tennis Center (SPTC) on Sunday, playing a doubles set on the brand new court surface. The center also features tight, bright new nets and a sparkling new boundary fence.

Two Skokie Park District dance team members took top solo honors recently at the Showstopper Dance Championships at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora. The Devonshire Dance team competed against dozens of dance studios from around the state, with winners qualifying for the national finals.

The Skokie Park District was awarded a ‘2013 Exceptional Workplace Award’ today by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA).

After 33 years, the oldest and largest wiffleball tournament in the nation is moving to Skokie.

The Public Research Group (PRG), in association with parks and recreation consultant GreenPlay, was retained in 2012 by the Skokie Park District to aid the district in the establishment of priorities for future capital improvements, programs and recreational services. The independent firm's final report is now available below.

Nicor Gas is in the second stage of a two-year environmental clean-up project at the site of a former Skokie manufactured gas plant, located on property southwest of McCormick Boulevard and Oakton Street. The Skokie Park District currently leases the property from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD), as well as property to the west of the clean-up site (Skokie Sports Park).

The district's Skatium Ice Arena has been voted the winner of the 2013 Outstanding Facility & Park Award for large park district "renovations to an existing facility," by the Illinois Park and Recreation Association (IPRA).

John Ohrlund, the former superintendent of parks and facilities for the Skokie Park District, took the helm today as the award-winning district’s new executive director. He assumes the position directing the comprehensive management, planning and operation of the district upon the retirement of former director Mark Schneiderman.

At the park district's April 2012 board meeting, Director of the Skokie Health Department, Catherine Counard, MD, honored the Skokie Park District as an "excellent partner," for its critical support of Skokie's public health activities.

Emily Oaks Nature Center Manager Lee Hansen won the Illinois Park and Recreation Association’s ‘2012 Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award’ at the organization’s annual conference in Chicago today.

The Illinois Hockey Hall of Fame recently announced two new player inductees for 2008, including goalie Steve Glickman, the Skatium Ice Arena’s director of hockey.