Glow And Behold As Winter Solstice Parade Lights Up Green Bay Trail

GLENCOE, IL — Area residents are invited to light up the longest night of the year at the 8th annual Winter Solstice Parade of Lights along the Green Bay Trail in Glencoe.

Organized by the not-for-profit Friends of the Green Bay Trail with help from the Glencoe Park District, the event begins at 5 p.m. Thursday at Shelton Park, 251 Harbor Street, between Green Bay and Old Green Bay roads.

Participants are encouraged to adorn themselves, their strollers, pets and wagons with artificial lights or other glowing decorations. Candles and open flames are forbidden.

The festivities begin with a musical presentation at the Shelton Park playground before beginning to travel the scenic Green Bay Trail.

The illuminated procession will then stroll down the train, singing songs to welcome the arrival of longer days.

The solstice parade is scheduled to conclude at the fire pit at Shelton Park with a warm conclusion to the evening's activities. Attendees can enjoy refreshments and hot chocolate with fellow community members.

In the event of severe weather, the event may be canceled.

Sunset Thursday will take place just before 4:24 p.m. following 9 hours and 9.5 minutes of sunlight.

And while it will have the fewest hours of sunlight all year, it is not the earliest sunset of the year, which happened on Dec. 8.

The discrepancy is due to the fact that the earth's elliptical orbit and its axial tilt, meaning day is actually just less than 24 hours, leading to a mismatch between clock time and solar time.