By Jillian Beaster Lake Forest College (LFC) has often been referred to as a “best-kept secret,” but based on its recent growth, the secret seems to be out. In August, LFC welcomed 539 students to campus, the largest incoming class in its 169-year history. With 423 first-year students and 116 transfer students, the administration attributed the growth to various factors. Members of the largest incoming class in Lake Forest College history gather on the basketball court. “We

By Laurie Stein Historians estimate that, by the end of the 1920s, three-quarters of the American population visited a movie theater every week. Locally, at the beginning of the decade, movies were shown at the DeLuxe Theatre at Westminster and Bank Lane. Joseph O'Neill opened Lake Forest’s first motion picture house on Westminster in 1912, next to the new location of his hardware store. The Lake Forest City Council spent the next six years regulating this new-fangled oper

By Kristin Elliott From Market Square to our neighborhood parks, Lake Forest has been filled with free concerts, great music, and plenty of summer fun. Families, friends, and neighbors came together to enjoy everything from local favorites to lively cover bands, making the most of warm summer evenings in our community. A couple of concerts had to be postponed due to wet weather, but that extended our season, and we have one more summer night of music to enjoy! Join us Thursda

By Carol Summerfield In looking at the photos of Lake Forest’s 1800s business district, it is hard to see any hint of the picturesque city that we know today. The East Lake Forest train station and the business district looked as much like a rugged Western town as anything in a John Wayne Western film. Dirt roads, clapboard buildings, and the telltale evidence of horses in the roadways definitely gave little indication of the elegant city that was to come. Western Avenue loo

By Lucy Hanlon The City of Lake Forest is expanding its use of technology to help Police and Fire personnel respond to emergencies faster and with better information. City Council recently approved the establishment of a Drone as a First Responder pilot program, a joint Police and Fire initiative that will provide critical information to emergency responders within seconds of a 911 call. Beginning this Fall, the Lake Forest Police Department and Lake Forest Fire Department wi

By Ashley Love Photography by Jack Frede For 118 years, Lake Forest Day has been a cherished tradition, bringing neighbors, families, and friends together to celebrate our community. From the 5K Fun Run and the beloved parade to the carnival and the new Pre-Parade Family Party in Market Square, this year's festivities were filled with smiles, laughter, and hometown spirit. We loved capturing these special moments along the way. Take a look through the photo gallery and relive

By David A. F. Sweet Like elsewhere in the world in 2020, smiling faces and fist bumps with friends were replaced with masks and remote classes at Lake Forest Community High School. Despite the historic upheaval, opportunity emerged from the crisis. Coming out of the pandemic, a new leader, Superintendent Dr. Matthew L. Montgomery, took charge, while a few top administrators headed to other jobs. It was the perfect time to implement a new culture – not from the top down, bu

By Bailey Angel Citadel Theatre recently welcomed the community to its first Mamma Mia! Sing-Along, an outdoor fundraiser on the lawn of the Gloria Dei Center at Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart. Over one unforgettable July weekend, about 500 audience members packed elaborate picnic baskets, donned feathered boas and enjoyed music, laughter and community. The fundraiser brought together an all-star cast made up of familiar faces from throughout the Citadel family, incl

By Laurie Stein One hundred years ago this summer, Lake Forest entertained royalty. The Crown Prince Gustavus Adolphus and Princess Louise of Sweden visited the town on June 25, 1926. The Princess, the former Louise Mountbatten, was the great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria. The royal party traveled up from Chicago to the Great Lakes Naval Station by motor yacht, where they were welcomed by Captain Hines in full regalia while great guns roared a royal salute. After drivi

By David A. F. Sweet Those driving west on Illinois past Gorton Center will notice a vibrant new mural to their left. Members of CROYA (Committee Representing Our Young Adults) spent a week this summer painting a flowing, red-white-and-blue 250 between the words America and Illinois. Rick Day and others from CROYA gather before the finished mural. “A number of people drove by offering a supportive honk, which meant a lot to be able to feel the community support through the

By David A. F. Sweet For the first time recently, Gorton Center welcomed members of the community to Sing at Gorton, where guitarist Dave Hiltebrand played well-known songs from the 1980s and 1990s, and visitors to the Stuart Room sang heartily. “Sing at Gorton is about creating space for people to connect,” said Amy Wagliardo, Gorton’s executive director, about the free gatherings. “Singing together is deeply human. It breaks down barriers, brings people into the moment, an

By Kristin Elliott For generations, Bank Lane has served as a discreet connector (essentially a service alley) in Lake Forest's Central Business District, helping residents access local shops, restaurants, and services and accommodating deliveries. This year, it is taking on a new role: a place to gather. Completed in the fall of 2025 concurrent with the Deerpath Streetscape Project, the first phase of the Bank Lane Pedestrian Corridor Enhancement Project transformed the blo

By Laurie Stein This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States, or “Semiquincentennial” if you’re a lover of large words. Such a milestone provides a wonderful opportunity to look back and celebrate our history – and with a full slate of events on the docket in 2026, residents will have ample opportunity to do just that. With the anniversaries of our nation, our town, and our many longstanding institutions to commemorate, the annals of such a history-loving co

By Carol Summerfield From movies and television shows, we have all seen the hall or the stairway bedecked with dozens of paintings of different generations in gilded frames, in their place of honor on the wall of a stately home. These ancestral portrait collections have been a part of society -- particularly European high society -- for hundreds of years. That tradition of having portraits of the family patriarchs and matriarchs migrated with its people to the United States.

By Lesley Fisher Lake Forest High School graduating seniors Dylan Cran and Campbell Gore were named the inaugural recipients of the Lake Forest High School Alumni Legacy Scholarship during the Scholarships and Awards Program on May 28. Dylan Cran is the son of Greg Cran ’92 and brother of Aidan ’21 and Lily ’23. Campbell Gore is the daughter of Shawn Valassis Gore ’94 and niece of Adrienne (Valassis) Stratman ’97, Lauren Valassis Hirsh ’99, and Doug Valassis ’03. Dylan Cran

By Laurie Stein With America’s 250th birthday coming up in July, we turn our thoughts back to other milestone anniversaries in the history of our town. The year 1876 marked the Centennial of the Declaration of Independence, America’s “first birthday party” where the nation for the first time took stock of itself as something other than a newcomer on the world stage. The Farwell family celebrates America's Centennial 150 years ago. But Lake Forest itself in 1876 was still

By David A. F. Sweet Earlier this year, the Lake Forest Police Department launched an online Crime Transparency Portal at cityoflakeforest.com/PoliceTransparency.. Featuring an interactive map, it displays incidents beyond those arrests that have appeared for years in the online police blotter. “Residents have told us they want to better understand what’s happening in their neighborhoods,” explained Chief of Police John Burke. “This portal helps us share more information a

By Liz Weithas In April, the Spirit of 67 Foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $145,905 to District 67 schools for the 2026-2027 school year. This allows Lake Forest children to enjoy incredible educational and cultural experiences that enrich their learning -- and also add a lot of fun to their school days. During Grant Week, volunteers from Spirit of 67 visited a different district school each day to announce their school’s awarded grants. At each school, they showcase

By a Lake Forest Love Writer The Lake Forest Civic Orchestra (LFCO) performed its final concert of the 2025-2026 season on May 3 at the John & Nancy Hughes Theater at Gorton Center. Guest conductor Nicholas Wallin led the orchestra and appreciative audience on a journey of mostly American music focused on the Appalachian region of the United States. Midwest Young Artists Conservatory competition winner Andrew Schinler performed the Rimsky-Korsakov trombone concerto on this

By David A. F. Sweet A Lake Forest Community High School student was frustrated with the 16th-century language of Romeo & Juliet. He struggled to relate to the Shakespearean tragedy involving teenage lovers. Peer Tutoring, which nurtures student-to-student sessions, helped bring understanding. “Everybody has big hearts,” says Elaine Metz about the Scout Buddies program, one of many where students help students. “The peer tutor told him, ‘You’re absolutely right,’ and got t