From afar, the scene at Tallmadge Park looked like an underwater circus illuminating the darkness on Saturday.
A sea creature with rainbow scales and flashing tentacles swayed atop the hill as little guppies swam to and fro within multicolor light-up rings. But this was no school of fish — it was an art display.
Local artists and residents braved the cold for the third annual Light the Night on Saturday. Attendees sipped on free hot cocoa and viewed the solar and battery-powered light installations.
“When it’s the middle of winter, when everybody is done celebrating the holidays and doesn’t want to be outside anymore, we want to force people out to be with their community members,” said Amanda D’Agostino, the Parks and Recreation special events coordinator.
Organized by Evanston Parks and Recreation, the event brought in about 250 attendees and aimed to promote local artists and highlight sustainability, D’Agostino said. Each artist contributing to the event received a $150 stipend from Evanston, with help from the Illinois Arts Council.
The works, which promoted solar-powered lights made from reused and recycled materials, minimized waste and highlighted sustainability efforts like Evanston’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, D’Agostino said.
Out in the soccer field, a string of LED lights mounted on the grass in a rectangle attracted onlookers. Evanston artist Chika Sekiguchi invited attendees to look at her piece “Frame of Mind” from afar and then venture closer to see how its appearance changed with perspective.
“Sometimes the assumptions you make when you see something from far away are not accurate, and you learn from exploring more,” Sekiguchi said about the piece’s message.
A graphic designer and producer, Sekiguchi has participated in Light the Night since its inaugural year in 2023. She said she always thinks about how kids will interact with the piece.
With “Frame of Mind,” several kids played with hula hoops inside the rectangle, adding an interactive element to the piece.
Angela Allyn, the city’s community arts program coordinator, dressed head to toe in multicolor lights for her performance art piece. Her outfit resembled a sea creature, made from an old dance costume, fiber optics and a purple orb.
Allyn said the event is great because it makes art accessible to residents of all ages.
Evanston resident Amy Stewart came to the event with family and friends, including her three and four-year-old daughters. She said she hopes Evanston will have more events like Light the Night.
“Any event like this gets people out, gets people talking and brings people together,” Stewart said.
The night also featured performances by Reflections Repertory Company, a Northwestern ballet company. Student dancers spun and leaped on the concrete basketball court, illuminated in pinks, blues and greens.
After the lights are taken down, they’ll be repurposed and reused, D’Agostino said.
Next year, she said she hopes to continue expanding the event and bring the community together, even in the miserable cold.
“I just think it’s important to get outside and be with your neighbors, even if it’s cold and everyone’s a little miserable,” D’Agostino said.
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