Highland Park Gets Ready for Ravinia Festival Traffic

With the start of Ravinia Festival Season 2015 now less than a month away, the city of Highland Park is making traffic and parking preparations now.

A resolution - one renewed every year - approving the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding on traffic and parking with the Ravinia Festival Association was adopted by the City Council last week.

“The City of Highland Park works closely with Ravinia Festival throughout the year to ensure residents and visitors enjoy the incredible cultural asset in our hometown,” said Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. “The regular communication and cooperative working relationship between the staff of the City and Ravinia Festival has been invaluable as we prepare for each season.”

More on Patch: Ravinia’s 2015 Lineup Features Aretha Franklin, Carlos Santana and a Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga Duo

Residents for both the Ravinia East Neighborhood and the Ravinia West Neighborhood will be receiving Parking permits in the mail before May 31. The city says permits should be properly displayed in residents’ and their guests’ vehicles from June 1 and September 15 between 3-11 p.m. and within 500 feet of the property identified on the permit. Violators will be cited $100. The parking permits are meant for residents and guests, and are not to be used for Ravinia off-site.

This year, the North Bus Turnaround has been rebuilt by Ravinia Festival at its own expense. The revamped turnaround now allows up to four buses to be loaded simultaneously instead of idling while waiting their turn to be filled with hopes of cutting down on the time it takes to deliver people from the park and thus reducing noise and emissions.

Ravinia Festival season begins on June 13 when Dan Zanes & Friends performs.

“Ravinia is grateful to call Highland Park home, and this beautiful community is inextricably tied to our success,” said Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman. “We have a good relationship with the City and strive to be an excellent corporate neighbor—from hiring local kids for their first jobs to quick clean-up after even our largest events, to donating 5 percent of our annual ticket sales to Highland Park.”

More on Patch: Ravinia Festival Tickets Now On Sale