"Prairie West Park is in the central part of town. That's where Christmas is." A St. John Town Council member said that at the June 25, 2025 council meeting. The council was hearing a presentation on Heartland Park, and its list of events proposed to move to the new amphitheater included Christmas in the Park.
Seventeen months later, Christmas is still at Prairie West. The Town's notice for the 22nd annual Christmas in the Park puts it at Prairie West Park along 93rd Avenue. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 27, and the tree lighting is at 7 p.m. St. John's whole holiday calendar this year runs through two familiar spaces, Prairie West and the Community Center on Cline Avenue. When the Town made its case for Heartland Park, it described these as the kinds of spaces its events had outgrown. Here is how the season lays out, and where the larger venue stands.
What's Set for Opening Night on Nov. 27
The Town of St. John's October notice sets the framework for the Tree Walk. Businesses, organizations, clubs, churches, schools and families could sponsor a tree for a $110 donation, with 100 trees available. Each tree is about 6 feet tall and comes with standard white lights. Decorations have to hold up outdoors, and prizes go to the three most creative trees.
Sponsors must have their trees decorated by Thursday, Nov. 26, which is Thanksgiving Day. The lights come on the next evening. The trees stay up through Jan. 1, 2027, and all decorations must be removed by Jan. 6 so Public Works can dispose of the trees.
Last year's opening night gives a good idea of what the 7 p.m. start has meant. A PanoramaNOW listing for the 21st annual event described this program for 2025:
- Fireworks at 7 p.m. sharp
- Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus
- Free train rides around the park trail
- Live performances by the Lake Central Band and Choir
- Free popcorn and hot chocolate
- Free hot dogs donated by Welch's Stop & Shop, while supplies lasted
That same 2025 listing named St. John Evangelist Church and School as overflow parking, a short walk from the park at 9359 W. Oakridge Drive. Those were last year's arrangements. The Town's notice for 2026 covers the dates, the tree lighting time and the Tree Walk rules.
Why Parking Came Up When Heartland Park Was Pitched
Parking came up because Prairie West Park sits in the middle of town, the same reason the council member gave for keeping Christmas there. At that June 2025 meeting, the same discussion raised a concern about losing "our overflow parking from down the street" once a new grocery store arrived. Another participant offered a fix: if Heartland Park were built, the town could park people there and shuttle them in.
The grocery store is now open. NWI Business reported that Jewel-Osco opened its 70,000-square-foot store at 9548 Wicker Ave. on Sept. 16, on the former Kmart site, with a pharmacy, Starbucks, deli, bakery and drive-up service. This will be the first Christmas in the Park since that store opened, and Heartland Park is not yet ready to take any overflow.
The Rest of the Season Runs Through Two Addresses
Every Town and Parks Department holiday event on the late-November and early-December calendar uses either Prairie West Park or the Community Center at 10216 Cline Ave. In order:
- Gobble and Grub, Saturday, Nov. 21, 6 to 9 p.m., Community Center. Admission is free. Local food samples are sold, and there is a cash bar.
- Christmas in the Park opening night, Friday, Nov. 27, Prairie West Park. The tree lighting is at 7 p.m.
- Candy Cane Hunt, Saturday, Nov. 28, noon to 2 p.m., Prairie West Park. It's for ages 1 to 10 and costs $5 per participant, with a Santa workshop photo stop and a train ride.
- Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 5, 9 a.m. to noon, Community Center. Breakfast comes with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Stitch and Angel, and photos. Tickets are $20 per person or $160 for a table of eight.
Prairie West gets two straight days of holiday traffic, with the tree lighting Friday night and the Candy Cane Hunt Saturday at midday. The Parks Department events page carries ticket details for the Candy Cane Hunt and Breakfast with Santa.
The 40 Acres Planned for Overflow Crowds
This calendar matters because of what the Town said when it made the case for Heartland Park. At the June 2025 council presentation, a speaker said St. John's events had "outgrown their current spaces." The farmers market could fit up to 50 vendors in its parking-lot home and had a long waiting list. Boo Bash at Prairie West sometimes hit its sign-up maximum, and the speaker said, "we're turning residents away." The same presentation said the amphitheater would host most of the town's events. Planned hours run no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 10 p.m., and the splash pad would likely be open seasonally from 9 a.m. to dusk.
The scale is significant. The Town's projects page describes Heartland Park as transforming 40 acres at White Oak Avenue and 109th Avenue. Plans include:
- An amphitheater with a stage and covered seating
- An open-air pavilion and multipurpose spaces
- Indoor community rooms for year-round use
- A destination splash pad with slides, climbing structures, vertical water features and dry play zones
At that same June 2025 meeting, officials described a preliminary $15 million project estimate, financed through a bond issue of up to $19.8 million.
The latest Town update, posted July 31, 2026, said masonry and roofing were underway on the pavilion. Steel for the canopy was nearly finished, and steel erection for the amphitheater was expected to start in August. At the Aug. 26, 2026 council meeting, council members approved a payment to Vortex, the splash-pad supplier. They were told the equipment had been delivered and was "sitting on the ground waiting to be installed."
The road out front is on its own schedule. A Town update dated July 31 said engineers were finishing the design of a roundabout at White Oak and 109th. Utility relocation was expected to begin this fall, and road construction was expected in spring 2027, pending utility work and right-of-way acquisition.
Getting Around Town This December
One road project affects holiday errands closer to the center of town. The Town's Oct. 6 update on the Joliet Street multi-use path said material delivery delays, two significant storms and utility delays over the summer had pushed completion into early summer 2027. At that point the project was 18% complete, with a goal of 30% before the winter shutdown.
For the cold months, the Town said Dyer Construction would get the section between Hart Street and Parrish Avenue ready to reopen to traffic, so open stone trenches would not sit through the winter. A shorter detour stays in place while crews keep working between Industrial Drive and Hart Street, and that stretch is expected to be done before the winter shutdown. The Town projects page carries the current status.
Holiday shopping along Wicker has a few new stops this year. Besides Jewel-Osco, Wintrust announced on Oct. 8 a full-service Old Plank Trail Community Bank branch at 9301 Wicker Ave. Dutch Bros, at 11104 96th Place, takes orders ahead, which helps if you're grabbing hot drinks before the 7 p.m. lighting.
For 2026, the plan is set. The 100-tree walk lights up at Prairie West Park on Friday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m., and stays lit through New Year's Day.
Our family has lit a lot of holiday seasons here in Northwest Indiana, and we'll be watching Heartland Park take shape along with everyone else. If you're thinking about how St. John's next few years, from Heartland Park to the White Oak roundabout, could affect your plans, Gina Guarino Group is glad to talk it over with you. Let Our Team, Be Your Team.
