The City of Highland Park’s Ravinia District SSA 17 is excited to announce the second Food Truck Thursday theme night of the year! Noche Latina will take place July 18 from 4:30-8:30 PM. The public is invited to come out prepared to dance and sing along to live music by The Chicago Jazz Dads (4:30-5:30 PM) and Roy McGrath’s Latin Quintet (6-8:30 PM). At 5:30 PM, attendees will be treated to a special Mexican Folk Dance performance by the Ave Maria Dance Ministry from Christ our Hope Parish in Highland Park, dressed in beautiful traditional Mexican costumes.

In addition to fabulous Latin-inspired performances, attendees can participate in an onsite maraca-making activity during the event.  Want to get a head start? Participating businesses throughout the Ravinia District (noted with window signs) will give out plastic eggs throughout the week of July 15. Be sure to bring these eggs back to Food Truck Thursdays’ Noche Latina on July 18, where they can be decorated during the event and used to dance and shake along to the music!

Theme night sponsors will be on-site with kid-friendly activities, including Banner Kitchen and Bath Showroom, which will host face painting and balloon twisting, and Arbor Terrace, which will have a Noche Latina selfie station to document the fun! Psychic Chakra Studio will also be on-site providing palm and tarot card readings for attendees!

Ravinia District Food Truck Thursdays theme nights encourage guests to arrive in family-friendly costumes and participate in interactive kid-friendly activities. In addition to Noche Latina on July 18, attendees are invited to laissez les bons temps rouler at New Orleans Mardi Gras Night on August 15.

Food Truck Thursdays are a summer staple on the North Shore and will run through September 26, 2024. Events occur in the Ravinia District along Dean Avenue between Roger Williams and St. Johns Avenues and at Jens Jensen Park across from the Ravinia Metra Station. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs or dine at one of the many picnic tables in Jens Jensen Park while enjoying live music (weather permitting) from 4:30-8:30 PM (June-August) and 5-7 PM (September). The eclectic 2024 musical lineup includes various genres and theme nights for all-ages fun.

For sneak peeks of weekly food trucks and event updates, be sure to like and follow RaviniaDistrict.HighlandPark on Facebook, @RaviniaDistrict on Instagram, and visit enjoyhighlandpark.com/foodtrucks. To learn more about exciting events and news happening throughout Highland Park, visit enjoyhighlandpark.com, follow the City on social media @enjoyhighlandpark, or sign up for weekly e-newsletters at cityhpil.com/signup.

Food Truck Thursdays are presented by the City of Highland Park Ravinia District Special Service Area 17 property owners. Bensidoun USA manages the Food Truck area of the events. Ripple Public Relations coordinates event marketing and theme nights. Live music for Food Truck Thursdays is coordinated by Life Rhythms, Inc., and is sponsored, in part, by the Highland Park Community Foundation. Additional sponsors include Wayfarer Theaters. A special thanks to Noche Latina night sponsors that will be on site with kid-friendly activities, including Banner Kitchen and Bath Showroom, Arbor Terrace, and Psychic Chakra Studio. For more information on how to participate in the 2024 event season as a participating or sponsoring business, please contact the Ravinia District’s event management team, Ripple Public Relations, [email protected], or call 847.432.6000.

The public is encouraged to walk or bike along the enhanced Green Bay Trail  -  Robert McClory Bike Trail , which leads to the charming Ravinia District.  The Ravinia District of Highland Park is easily accessible from both north and south via the Metra (Ravinia Station) and Pace Bus. For vehicles, Highland Park can be reached via north Lake Shore Drive to Sheridan Road, US 41 and 294: exit Clavey Road east to Green Bay Road and east on Roger Williams Avenue. Free parking is available.