Hinsdale's 60th Christmas Walk Runs Through a Downtown Its Neighbors Are Paying For

"Whenever you dig in Hinsdale, there might be some surprise," Village President Greg Hart told The Hinsdalean in early October. He was talking about a large stormwater culvert. Contractors found it while digging the foundation for the new pavilion in Burlington Park.

Private donors paid for the pavilion, and Hart is now trying to raise the extra cost the same way. Look at downtown Hinsdale this fall, from the park to the bakery on Washington Street to the apartments being built above the shops, and a pattern shows up. Much of the money changing the village center comes from people and groups based in Hinsdale. On Friday, Dec. 4, the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce holds its 60th annual Christmas Walk in that same downtown.

A $526,000 pavilion with no taxpayer line

In July, village trustees hired Dave Knecht Homes to build a permanent pavilion on the west end of Burlington Park. It is part of Hinsdale's celebration of America's 250th anniversary. The $526,000 cost is covered entirely by private donors. UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale gave $175,000 and the Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce gave $100,000.

The village knew the culvert was there. It runs west past Washington Street. The surprise was its exact location. There are two options. Engineers can find a way to build on top of it, which Hart prefers, or the pavilion can move closer to the sidewalk. Either way, the work will add at least $15,000. Hart said he wants to cover that gap without taxpayer money:

"In other words, I'm going to be making phone calls trying to raise the delta."

Trustee Neale Byrnes said he was glad the vote on which option to choose came off the agenda so the board could study it more. According to the Hinsdale Journal, the village has not set a date to review staff's recommendation. Officials still expect the pavilion to be ready for the Uniquely Thursdays concert series in 2027. The village's project page still gives a fall 2026 completion date.

The Chamber's $100,000 gift to the pavilion comes from the same organization that will host Santa's Workshop in Burlington Park this December.

Three neighbors and a bakery past 30 years

Two blocks of Washington Street tell the same story at a smaller scale.

Toni's Patisserie & Café at 51 S. Washington St. has been in Hinsdale for more than 30 years. Toni Cox has sold it to three Hinsdale residents, Craig Zoberis, Mark Konieczka and Tom Wake. As The Hinsdalean reported in a story last updated Sept. 30, Cox is staying on during the transition. The recipes and customer favorites will stay, and the new owners said they have no immediate plans to change anything.

That makes this the first holiday season in more than three decades that Toni's runs under new owners. If the owners stick to their word, customers won't see a difference on the shelves.

What's going up above the storefronts

A few doors away, the change is happening on the upper floors. The Hinsdalean described Pete Tortorello as a Hinsdale man investing in downtown sites. Through his company, Fairfield Properties, he is renovating storefront buildings on Washington Street.

• 102 S. Washington St. A new two-floor apartment is planned above Alixandra Blue and Studio W.
• 104–106 S. Washington St. Upstairs offices will become four apartments as their leases run out.
• 8–10 W. First St. The former "yellow house" is being renovated for Frame Bridge, an online custom-framing company. The small renovated building behind it has no tenant named yet.

The office-to-apartment conversions happen as leases end, so they will roll out gradually. Shoppers on Washington Street this December will see the same storefronts at street level. The change is in who will be living upstairs in the years ahead.

Out on York Road, a strip center filling in

North of downtown, Gateway Square at 777 N. York Road is adding independent shops. The Book Nook, owned by Alison Kozlow, opened Aug. 12. It held a joint grand opening on Sept. 19 with Paris312, a party-decor and supplies store co-founded by Niku Ghalkhani. A third tenant, Sage Wellness Sanctuary, owned by Bianca Castlebuono, was announced for the same center. Before you go, check whether it has opened.

The building is changing too. According to the Hinsdale Journal, owner Five Kings Properties plans a new courtyard, signage, lighting and parking lot. The target is 2027, and in September the plan was still waiting on village approvals. A new bookstore and a party-supply shop are useful to have close by in a December full of gifts and parties.

Who runs the season, in date order

Hinsdale's holiday calendar comes from two organizers. The Hinsdale Chamber of Commerce runs the Christmas Walk and Santa's Workshop. The village's Parks and Recreation department runs everything else. Here is the full schedule:

1. Sunday, Nov. 29: Holiday Express. Village residents only. A train trip from Hinsdale to Two Brothers Roundhouse, with a meal and activities. Tickets are $55, and there are four departure windows. The village says those times can change with Metra's schedule, so check the event page before you leave.
2. Nov. 30 to Dec. 7: Santa's Mailbox at Village Hall. Open to Hinsdale residents. Each letter needs the parent form from the village's page, and replies take 7 to 10 business days.
3. Friday, Dec. 4, 5 to 7 p.m.: The 60th Christmas Walk. Santa arrives and the tree is lit at Memorial Hall at 5 p.m. Downtown businesses are open, and there are Santa visits, carousel rides and train rides until 7. Businesses can rent 10-by-10-foot booths on Washington Street. The Chamber lists parking in the Upper and Lower Washington Street lots and in the village lot between Lincoln and Washington, north of the tracks.
4. Sunday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to noon: Winter Wonderland. At Katherine Legge Memorial Park, 5901 S. County Line Road. Expect Santa, Mrs. Claus, crafts, Frozen characters and reindeer. You must register ahead on the village's page. It costs $20 for residents and $25 for nonresidents.
5. Saturday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Hinsdale for the Holidays and Santa's Workshop. The village's free event in Burlington Park includes gingerbread cookie decorating, horse-drawn carriage rides and Santa. The Chamber's Santa's Workshop runs in the same park at the same time.
6. Saturday, Dec. 19, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Santa's Workshop, final visit.

Burlington Park hosts three of these dates. It is also where the pavilion work is on hold. The village's listing for the Dec. 12 event mentions no construction changes, so check the event page for updates before you go.

The Christmas Walk is paid for by local sponsors. The Chamber's event listing names Americorp-Laricy as presenting sponsor and Razny Jewelers as sponsor of Santa's Workshop. Compass Church and Dynamic Perception Dance Company are among the other event sponsors.

One more thing on the curb

If your holiday plans involve a lot of wrapping paper, note that Hinsdale changed garbage haulers at the start of November. Flood Brothers replaced Republic Services. The village says the new service started Nov. 1, and The Hinsdalean reported the first pickup on Monday, Nov. 2. Pickup days are still Monday and Thursday. Flood Brothers carts were due by Oct. 31, so if a Republic cart is still at your curb, leave it there until it's collected, as the village's transition notice asks.

The tree at Memorial Hall gets lit at 5 p.m. on Dec. 4. A few blocks away, Toni's has its new owners and the Burlington Park pavilion is still waiting on a plan for the culvert. The pavilion work is being paid for by donors, not taxes.

If you live in Hinsdale and want to know how the Washington Street changes, the Gateway Square plan and the pavilion could affect your home's value, Maranda Real Estate Group follows these changes block by block. Get a Free Home Valuation before the holidays and see where your home stands going into 2027.