Highland Park Trolley Tour To Spotlight 35-Plus Women-Owned Businesses May 7

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — Downtown Highland Park is set to host its second annual Women-Owned Business Whistle Stop Trolley Tour on May 7, from 4 to 9 p.m., a Mother's Day weekend lead-up event centered on women entrepreneurs in the district.

The event will feature more than 35 women-owned businesses, free trolley access from 4 to 7 p.m., behind-the-scenes experiences, demos, giveaways and an afterparty at Dayhouse Coworking.

According to the event information, Downtown Highland Park has identified more than 140 women-owned businesses in the district. Organizers describe the area as a hub for female entrepreneurship and say the tour is designed to connect the public with the women behind local storefronts, including owners, makers, chefs, wellness leaders and creatives.

The event is structured as a hop-on, hop-off trolley experience through the walkable downtown, with participating businesses offering free demos, giveaways and complimentary sips and sweets during the 4 to 7 p.m. portion of the evening. Participating businesses listed in the event information include Face Foundrié, Rock N Rags, Love That Spice, The Barn Steakhouse, Citywoods, Curt's Café and The Beauty Library, along with other local businesses.

The evening is scheduled to continue from 7 to 9 p.m. with an afterparty at Dayhouse Coworking. According to the event information, the afterparty will include food and drinks from local women-owned restaurants and a prize drawing at 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20, according to the event information. The tour is positioned as a community celebration ahead of Mother's Day weekend while also drawing attention to the concentration of women-owned businesses in Downtown Highland Park.

The event's focus is local commerce as much as it is community visibility. By bringing residents and visitors into direct contact with business owners across retail, dining and wellness spaces, the tour highlights a broad slice of the downtown business district in a single evening.

The Women's-Owned Business Whistle Stop Trolley Tour is scheduled for Thursday, May 7, from 4 to 9 p.m. in Downtown Highland Park, with the trolley running from 4 to 7 p.m. and the afterparty beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online.