Oak Brook's Central Park will feature a new animated LED light tunnel this holiday season, funded by a grant from ComEd's Powering the Holidays program.
The Oak Brook Park District is one of 28 municipalities and nonprofits across northern Illinois selected for the sixth annual grant program, ComEd announced Oct. 22. The program, run jointly with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, awards grants of up to $2,500 each to support local holiday light displays.
The grant will support what ComEd described as the district's "ongoing cherished tradition" of themed light displays at Central Park. The new LED tunnel is the headline addition for this year's event.
Winter Lights at Central Park runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 3, from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. daily, according to the park district's events calendar. The display is at 1500 Forest Gate Rd. in Oak Brook. The park district has also promoted a Cocoa Cabin alongside the light displays.
Across all 28 recipients, ComEd is distributing $69,500 this year. The program, launched in 2021, has now invested more than $300,000 in over 120 communities and organizations. Funded events run between Nov. 1, 2026, and Feb. 13, 2027.
Melissa Washington, ComEd's senior vice president of government, regulatory and external affairs, said in the announcement that the grants help showcase "the creativity, tradition and connection that make our neighborhoods so special." Neil James, executive director of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, called the light displays an illustration of community connection and storytelling.
The exact dollar amount awarded to the Oak Brook Park District was not specified in the announcement. Whether Winter Lights carries an admission fee is not listed on the park district's events page.
The district's broader holiday calendar includes a Turkey Dri Tri on Nov. 22, a Holiday Book Club starting Nov. 30, Holiday Yoga at Cocoa Cabin on Dec. 7 and a Frosty Float Boat Regatta on Dec. 30. Details are available at obparks.org.
