Fireworks return to Highland Park as community gathers for National Night Out

Hundreds gathered Tuesday evening at Highland Park’s Hidden Creek AquaPark for the community’s annual version of National Night Out, enjoying games, demonstrations and family activities before the city lit up the sky with its first fireworks show in several years.

The fireworks show punctuating the event were a makeup from July 3, when thunderstorms canceled the originally scheduled program.

National Night Out is a nationwide initiative observed through community-level events that encourage police officers and community members to connect.

“[The event] is a good chance for us to get to know the community and the community to get a good chance to know us,” Highland Park officer Maggie Samson said. “A lot of times we can only deal with people when they’re in a bad situation, so now is a good time where we can come together with good intentions, meet people on good terms, and get to know the community in a better light.”

The event is also a way to unite against crime, according to Police Chief Lou Jogmen.

Residents got to meet the men and women of the Highland Park Police Department and enjoy family-friendly games and activities, like free swimming, a bounce house, a live DJ, snacks, a petting zoo and giveaways, demonstrations and more.

Community organizations were also present at the event, including Community of the Anti Drug Coalition, Moraine Township Community Mental Health Board, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago, Lake County Children’s Advocacy Center and more.

In the Dunk-Tank

The chance to connect with the community at this event “means a lot” to police officer Juan Marban, who put it on the line in the dunk tank.

Marban grew up in Highland Park and went to Hidden Creek AquaPark as a kid, so getting to be a part of it from a different side was “amazing,” he said.

Connecting with the community isn’t new to the Highland Park Police Department, Marban said, as they get to work the Fourth of July events, play dodgeball with middle school students and play with kids at local parks. Marban likes to showcase his soccer skills whenever a soccer ball is around.

Marban said being dropped in the dunk tank was “a lot of fun.” He said the best part is seeing how excited the kids get when they hit the target.

On Tuesday, Marban plunged into the water tank over a dozen times. He was happy to chat with The Record to get a bit of a break.

A new activity this year, residents got see how fast they could kick a soccer ball, as officers used a radar gun to measure their kicks.

What’s next

Planning for next year’s event already starts the week of Aug. 10, Jogmen said.

He called the preparation “a lot of work” but worth it to “see the smiles on the kids’ faces.”

In preparation for next year, Jogmen’s already thinking of bringing back the “DUI simulator,” which lets kids wear goggles designed to distort their vision, as might happen if they were impaired. Kids could then drive a golf cart and see if they could maneuver around traffic cones.

Jogmen is also looking at bringing a drone demonstration next year, as well.

Explosive Finish

The fireworks displayed on Tuesday were the first fireworks Highland Park has seen since 2019, according to Jogmen. He said fireworks were not displayed in 2020 or 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And then fireworks were canceled in 2022, following the Highland Park shooting, and not planned 2023 to 2025

When asked how it feels to have the fireworks back on Tuesday night, Jogmen was sympathetic to the community who had “mixed feelings,” about it.

He can “wholly understand” that there are people who aren’t ready for the fireworks and others who are. Jogmen said bringing them back this year was a “tough call.”

Resident Laura Bang said having the fireworks at a community event like National Night Out was necessary.

She said that especially when tragic things happen, the community needs to “come together and check in on each other.”

“I had a friend who was in the parade during the 2022 shooting and I noticed she was very traumatized from it, finding everything loud anxiety provoking,” Bangs said. “I understood her, although I can’t help but think society is becoming overly sensitive about what can or can’t be done in the community. I think those traumatized should stand next to each other and overcome their fears together. That’s what I think community is for.”

Resident Rebecca Weininger also feels that fireworks this year were a good idea.

“To me, [the fireworks] are a return to normalcy,” Weininger said. “I’m so glad we did a lot to respect the memories of the experiences that people had, particularly those who lost their lives, during the 2022 shooting. But, also, coming back together is a form of healing and a return to normalcy that we, as a community, aren’t letting hate triumph over our joy.”

Weininger said the fireworks bring a lot of joy, and they are an opportunity for the community to celebrate together.

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