Highland's 2026 holiday season runs from 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving to 6 p.m. on Jan. 6, and nearly every event in between is staffed by residents. Highland Parks & Recreation sets the dates and opens two venues, Main Square Park downtown and Lincoln Community Center at 2450 Lincoln Street. Runners, parade entrants, local clubs and homeowners do most of the rest.
The bonfire that closes the season burns Christmas trees that residents carry to Main Square themselves. Below is the calendar in order, along with who runs each event.
Thanksgiving Morning Starts With a Race the Runners Built
The 51st annual Pumpkin Plod starts at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 26, near Highway Avenue and Kennedy Avenue, and finishes at Lincoln Community Center. It's a USATF-certified 10K, and Highland Parks & Recreation's Fall 2026 seasonal brochure lists it as part of the Calumet Striders 2026 Gold Cup Series. That puts a Highland street race on the same season-long schedule regional runners already follow.
It also has the most Highland prize on the calendar. The top three 10K finishers in each category each win a pumpkin pie. T&H Timing handles the chip timing, and the brochure promises some anniversary highlights for the 51st running. Walkers can do an unofficial 5K, and everyone gets a cotton long-sleeve shirt while supplies last.
Early-bird pricing ended Oct. 16, so here's what's left:
| Entry | Standard | Day of race |
|---|---|---|
| Runner, 10K | $35 | $40 |
| Walker, 5K | $25 | $30 |
You can only register through runsignup.com. Shirt and bib pickup is at the Lincoln Center fieldhouse on Wednesday, Nov. 25, from 2 to 9:45, or on race morning from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m.
Two Days Later, the Parade Is Open to Applicants
Santa's March on Saturday, Nov. 28, works the same way. The parade isn't a fixed lineup the town brings in. Applications are free and go through a Google form from the Highland Council of Community Events. To get the link, email [email protected] or check the council's Facebook page.
The evening runs on a tight schedule:
- 4 p.m. Parade entrants line up.
- 4:45 p.m. Santa's March leaves First and Highway and heads through downtown to Main Square.
- 5 p.m. Santa lights Main Square Park with help from children in the crowd, then stays for a meet-and-greet.
Some of the marchers will be kids who learned their routine at the parks department. Santa's March Poms is open to ages 6 and up, with two practices on Nov. 25 and Nov. 28 from 2 to 3 p.m. and a performance in the parade that evening. The fee is $30 for residents and $32 for nonresidents and covers poms, a hat and a light-up necklace. The Poms' instructions list a 4:15 p.m. lineup, so parents should go by that time and not the general 4 p.m. call.
The Frostival Hands Each Booth to a Local Group
The Fireside Frostival runs Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Lincoln Center, with fire pits, a holiday lights display, s'mores, food and drinks, face painting, photo ops and games.
According to the brochure, local groups host each activity and keep the proceeds for their own clubs and causes. When you buy s'mores or a face painting at the Frostival, the money goes to whichever group is running that table. So the event raises money for many organizations in one night.
The Frostival is a recent addition to the calendar. When it was first announced, PanoramaNOW called it "a new holiday festival." The parks department's 2025 event listing set last year's edition for Dec. 13, 4 to 8 p.m., at Lincoln Center. This year's festival runs an hour later on the same type of Saturday, which gives the fire pits and the lights display a darker sky.
Some of the Season Happens at Home
The 3rd annual Banas Holiday Home Decorating Contest makes the town's own houses part of the program. Entries are photos and video of residents' homes, and voting happens on the parks department's Facebook page. The contest has four categories:
- Best Inflatables, for the biggest collection or the most creative layout
- Best Traditional Theme, which the brochure describes as "is your house from a Hallmark movie?"
- Best Overall Griswold Show Stopper, for lights, video and more
- Best Porch/Balcony/Entryway
Entry forms are available at Lincoln Community Center starting Nov. 24 and are due Dec. 12, the same day as the Frostival. Each entry needs two photos and a 10-second video, sent to [email protected]. Voting opens Dec. 15 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 17, and winners are announced Thursday, Dec. 18.
That schedule runs earlier than last year's. In 2025, the contest page closed voting on Dec. 21 and announced winners on Monday, Dec. 22. Winners now get a full week before Christmas instead of three days.
New this year is a Letter from Santa program. Register a child through the parks office by Dec. 11, and a personalized letter from Santa, stickers and a personalized coloring page arrive by mail the week of Dec. 14. The fee is $5 for residents and $7 for nonresidents, and the program runs out of Lincoln Community Center.
Main Square Closes the Season With Residents' Own Trees
After Christmas, the calendar moves back downtown. As part of the season's Festival of Lights, Main Square Park hosts a fireworks show at midnight on New Year's Eve.
The Festival of Lights officially ends at Main Square Park on Jan. 6 at 6 p.m. with the 12th Night Tree Burning. In keeping with tradition, the brochure encourages residents to bring their Christmas trees to Main Square for a bonfire. The trees that went up after the Nov. 28 lighting end the season in one fire in the same park.
Here's the full calendar:
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thu., Nov. 26, 9 a.m. | 51st Pumpkin Plod | Highway & Kennedy to Lincoln Center |
| Sat., Nov. 28, 4:45 p.m. | Santa's March, tree lighting at 5 p.m. | First & Highway to Main Square Park |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Letter from Santa registration closes | Lincoln Community Center |
| Sat., Dec. 12, 5 to 9 p.m. | Fireside Frostival | Lincoln Center |
| Thu., Dec. 18 | Decorating contest winners announced | Highland Parks Facebook page |
| Thu., Dec. 31, midnight | New Year's Eve fireworks | Main Square Park |
| Wed., Jan. 6, 6 p.m. | 12th Night Tree Burning | Main Square Park |
A Highland Native Brings Lucy's Barbecue Back to 45th Street
Highland's dining scene is changing this season for a similar reason, with a local returning to run something in town. Pitmaster Nick Kleutsch is bringing Lucy's Barbecue back to Highland at 2904 W. 45th St. That building was home to Town Club, a steakhouse and cocktail bar that opened in 1945. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported that it closed after 79 years, when its owners sold the building to retire. The Times described generations of diners who came for steak, fried lake perch and "the biggest martinis in town."
Lucy's started in Highland too. The Times reported that the first Lucy's operated inside Brewfest in Highland and later moved to Lowell. That location closed in 2024, according to a Times profile of Kleutsch. In between, Kleutsch made his name at Sanders BBQ Supply Co. in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood. WTTW notes that the restaurant made The New York Times' best restaurant list and earned a Jean Banchet Award and a James Beard Award semifinalist nod.
He told The Times:
"I had a fun time in Chicago and Beverly, and it's similar to Northwest Indiana in many ways, but I was born and raised here. It's time to come back."
According to The Times' business coverage, the plan is counter service with buzzers. The menu is set to include brisket, brisket burgers, ribs, rib tips, pork, chicken and turkey, along with a late-night menu from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
At Favela Real Estate, we know what goes into a house that's ready for the Best Porch category, because our Favela Homes crews spend the rest of the year on lighting, entryways and curb appeal. If this season has you wondering what your Highland home is worth, from the front walk to the kitchen, ask our bilingual team for a free home valuation. We'll talk it through in English or Spanish.
