Ravinia District Food Truck Thursdays is Bringing Mardi Gras to You!

Get ready to laissez les bons temps rouler (let the good times roll!) at New Orleans Mardi Gras Night on August 15,  2024 at Food Truck Thursdays in the City of Highland Park’s Ravinia District! From 4:30-8:30 PM, attendees will dance and sing along to live music by children’s entertainer, Ben Tatar & the Tatar Tots (4:30-5:45 PM), and the New Orleans style brass band, Extra Crispy Brass Band (6-8 PM).

In addition to the fabulous musical performances, everyone is invited to create their own Mardi Gras mask to wear at the event. Attendees are encouraged to pick up their masks in advance at participating Ravinia Business District businesses beginning August 5, and bring them to the decorating tent on August 15 for colorful feathers, sequins, and more!

Plus, Grins Pediatric Dentistry will be onsite with a selfie station for festive photos and Tina Johns from the Psychic Chakra Studio will be offering her services to attendees!

Food Truck Thursdays are a summer staple on the North Shore and will run through September 26, 2024. Events take place 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 enewsletters 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 Mardi Gras 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 be part of the 2024 event season as a participating or sponsoring business, please contact the Ravinia District’s event management team, Ripple Public Relations, info@ripplepublicrelations.com, 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.