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Sunday October 12, 2008

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The Holidays and New Year

Happy Holidays from NorthShoreInsider.com! Have a Great New Year!

New Year's 2007-2008 Activities

Dinner On The Town

Lake Forest:

Event: Bank Lane Bistro
Date: December 31st
Location: 2670 Bank Lane
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Cost: $48 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity, $18 per person for wine pairings, $28 per person for champagne pairings.
Call 847.234.8802 for more information

Evanston:

Event: Va Pensiero
Date: December 31st
Location: 1566 Oak Ave.
Time: 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. seatings
Cost: First seating: Includes five courses of traditional Italian cuisine, champagne toast and dessert for $65 per person. Seond seating includes seven courses, unlimited champagne after 11:30 p.m. and dancing to the Beazley Phillips Trio for $95 per person. Both seating prices are exclusive of tax and gratuity.
Call 847.475.7779 for more information

Highland Park:

Event: Carlos' Restaurant
Date: December 31st
Location: 429 Temple
Time: Three seatings: 5:30, 7:30 and 9 p.m.
Cost: The first and second seatings feature a five-course degustation menu, $120 per person, with wine pairings optional, plus tax, gratuity and beverages. The third seating offers a seven-course degustation menu, with wine pairings optional, party favors and midnight champagne toast, priced at $135 per person, plus tax, gratuity and beverages. Reservations are required.
Call 847.432.0770 for more information.

Northbrook:

Event: New Year’s Eve at Allgauer's on the Riverfront
Date: December 31st
Location: 2855 N. Milwaukee, Northbrook
Time: 7 p.m. - 1 a.m.
Cost: $332 per couple
Call 847.509.7015 for more information

Highwood:

Event: Four-Course dinner at Gabriel’s Restaurant
Date: December 31
Location: 310 Green Bay Rd, Highwood
Time: 5:30, 7:30 and 10 p.m. seatings
Cost: $100 - reservations recommended Call 847.433.0031 for more information

Looking For A Party?

Evanston:

Event: First Night Evanston
Date: December 31
Location: downtown Evanston, First Night Plaza (1603 Orrington Avenue)
Time: 3 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.
Cost: $15 adults; $5 kids ages 2-12; free ages 2 and under.
Complete schedule: firstnightevanston.org
Event Phone Number: 847-475-6483

Let’s Boogie!

Evanston:

Event: Eddy Clearwater Blues Band, Melvin Taylor and The Slack Band
Date: December 31
Location: Bill’s Blues Bar, 1029 Davis, Evanston
Time: 8 p.m.
Cost: $65-$75; $115-$130 per couple (includes top shelf open bar, buffet and a T-shirt Event
Phone Number: 847-424-9800

Feeling Theater?

Highland Park:

Event: Apple Tree Theater's "The Mistress Cycle"
Date: December 31st
Location: 1850 Green Bay Rd.
Time: 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. performances
Cost: $75 per person - 6:30 p.m. show includes pre-show buffet with hors' d'oeuvres and champagne; 9:30 p.m. show includes dessert buffet and champagne countdown.
Call 847.432.4335 for more information

Family Fun

Winnetka:

Event: New Year’s Eve Fun Skate
Location: Winnetka Ice Arena, 490 Hibbard Rd.
Date: December 31st
Time: 7 - 9 p.m.
Cost: Free!

Waukegan:

Event: 9th Annual Polar Bear Plunge
Location: Waukegan Municipal Beach
Date: January 1
Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
Cost: $15 per person ($10 in advance)

Glenview:

Event: Family New Year’s Eve Skate-Skate With Spongebob!
Date: December 31
Location: Glenview Ice Arena, 1851 Landwehr
Time: 6 - 9 p.m.
Cost: $7 per person, ages 3 and under are free. ($3 skate rental)

The Ho, Ho, Ho on This Year’s North Shore Holidays

Looking for scoop on holiday fun on the North Shore? Where to find the best trees… lighting ceremonies, parades… shopping events and more? We’ve got you covered! And, don’t forget to check back because we’re adding events all the time so you have the latest Insider information.

Charitable Events & Opportunities

We are so very lucky to live where and how we do - from the silly things such as a drive-through Starbucks pit stop to the moments we take for granted, such as opening our dresser drawers to pull on a warm sweater. And for most of us, we like to acknowledge our good fortune and show our gratitude with acts of kindness year-round. But it's this time of year - especially during the holidays - that gets crazy, and looking for a place to which you can spread good cheer can feel like a chore. So we've got a list for you:

Glenview/Northbrook Youth Services:
3100 W. Lake Ave. Glenview, IL
847.724.2620
www.youthservices-gn.org
This organization benefits families and children in times of need, and is sponsoring a gift drive during this holiday season.

KidsHopeUnited:
www.kidshopeunited.org/our_communities/illinois.php
This organization serves to counsel kids in need in several area communities, including Evanston and Libertyville.

Chicago Area Red Cross:
www.chicagoredcross.org
It's not just the large natural disasters that the Red Cross responds to - it's local emergencies as well. The Red Cross is always looking for volunteer help and donations, and this is a great place to make a donation.

Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago:
www.juf.org/donate/default.aspx
The Jewish United Fund is an excellent resource for those interested in supporting this organization, which steps in to help area families in crisis.

Community Voice Mail:
www.cvm.org/whatiscvm.cfm
We came across this cool organization that helps out people in transition. Specifically, it offers people 24-hour access to a voicemail program, so that in cases where people are trying to pull themselves up and out of bad situations, and are without a home base with a consistent phone number, they have a place they can be reached - for everything from job offers to emergencies. If you'd like to donate to something different this season, here's a unique opportunity.

Connections For The Homeless-Evanston:
2010 Dewey Ave. Evanston
847.475.7070/Ext. 100
www.cfthinc.org
This organization supports families in housing need in the Evansotn area, operating emergency shelters. They currently are in need of:
Coats, boots, gloves, men's long pants and jeans
One year subscription to Chicago Tribune for EntryPoint and Hilda's Place clients
$5 gift cards to Target, Jewel, Dominick's or Food 4 Less
Phone cards
$5 one day or $2 one way CTA passes

Toys For Tots:
Cars of America in Glenview is partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program and is collecting new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year. Typically, these toys will be distributed in and distribute those toys as holiday gifts to needy children in the community in which the campaign is conducted.

At Cars of America, toys will be collected until December 10th - and if you participate, you will receive a free Premium Oil Change (a $30 value), and you will automatically be entered into a drawing for a Little Tykes Cozy Coupe (1 of 4) to be awarded on December 14, 2007.

CARS OF AMERICA
1727 Chestnut Ave.
Glenview , M-F, 7 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Call 866carCARE for further information.

Food And Toy Drive:
Glencoe’s Department of Public Safety and the Village is sponsoring its annual Holiday Food and Toy drive. For the past 16 years, more than 60 families per year in the immediate area have received a holiday basket, and last year over 300 children received toys delivered by Village employees.

Monetary donations, non-perishable food items and/or new toys will be accepted at the Department of Public Safety beginning November 23 through December 18. Monetary donations will be used to purchase additional food as needed. All donations will be delivered on December 21, 2007.

For more information or if you know of a needy family, please contact the Public Safety Department at 847-835-4112 x148.

Other opportunities and ideas:

* Don't forget to check your child's backpack for organized charitable activities taking place at school.

* Local grocery stores often sponsor food drives during the holidays.

Spend The Night!

Wheeling:

Check out one of the North Shore’s newest luxury hotel destinations, the Westin North Shore. It’s just south of Lake-Cook Rd. on Milwaukee Ave. in Wheeling, and features two HOT restaurants–Tramonto’s and Osteria di Tramonto. Your package includes dinner, overnight accomodations for two and a complimentary breakfast New Year’s morning.

Event: Westin North Shore New Year’s Eve
Date: December 31
Location: 601 N. Milwaukee, Wheeling
Time: Varies upon dinner package
Cost: Starting at $229 per couple
Phone: 866.716.8104

Tree Sales

Deerfield:
You can find fresh trees at the Optimist Club sale located at the corner of Jewett Park Drive and Park Avenue, Monday - Friday, 3 - 9 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sundays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Glenview:
Wagner Farm will have fresh cut trees, wreaths and greenery for sale beginning Saturday, November 24. They're located at 1510 Wagner Rd., on the corner of E. Lake and Wagner near the Glenview/Wilmette border.

In Spring Grove, you can visit Richardson Tree Farm at 9407 Richardson Rd. It’s a great place to find holiday greenery, cut your own tree, and enjoy homemade doughnuts, coffee and hot chocolate. Tree sales start November 23.
Contact: 847.675.9729