With summer winding down, families gathered Thursday evening at Centennial Park West for Orland Park’s annual Back to School Night, a community send-off before the first bell of the year.
The park at 15609 Park Station Blvd. bustled with children clutching balloon animals, parents chatting in lawn chairs and music drifting from an interactive DJ booth. The free event, hosted by the village’s Recreation Department, offered an evening of games, face painting, bounce houses, contests and creative stations aimed at getting kids excited for the year ahead.
“We love Centennial Park and come here for all of its community events and concerts,” Monika Gil, of Homer Glen, said, who attended with her husband and two children.
The Recreation Department also handed out school supply giveaways, a highlight for many young attendees, while others lined up for painted butterflies and superheroes on their cheeks.
Food and drinks were available for purchase from a wide array of local area vendors, leaving the smell of popcorn and grilled hot dogs mingling in the warm August air, along with the visual drips from delicious ice cream cones.
Former Orland Park resident, Holly Jad said she wouldn’t have missed it.
“We are in Tinley Park now, but being previous Orland Park resident, we make it a point to come out to all of the events,” Jad said. “This is one of our favorite ones so far. It’s a great way to say goodbye to summer and hello to the new school year.”
Whether it was a child starting kindergarten or a teen heading back to high school, Back to School Night was designed to make the transition from summer to school a little brighter and a lot more fun.
