Read below for information about upcoming holiday celebrations, where to find last-minute holiday gifts (hint: locally!), the City's 2023 Budget, and more.

Plus, see how the Mayor's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive spread holiday cheer to 400+ Evanston families this season.

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Building community this holiday season

Despite the short days and gloomy weather, there are plenty of opportunities to come together and shine this holiday season!

Cocoa and Candy Canes: Join the Evanston Police Department for hot cocoa, holiday crafts, and candy canes tonight, Thurs., Dec. 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Robert Crown Community Center! 

Light the menorah: Celebrate Hanukkah in Fountain Square this Mon., Dec. 19 at 5:30 p.m. with live music, treats, and more.

Community Sharing: Monday, Dec. 26 marks the first day of Kwanzaa and the last day of Hanukkah – a perfect opportunity for an uplifting and inspiring community and cultural celebration. Stop by Fountain Square at 11 a.m. for a "Community Sharing" event, and head to the Robert Crown Community Center from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the Kwanzaa Festival.

First Night: 2023 is right around the corner! Ring in the New Year in person with First Night Evanston.

Looking for last-minute holiday gifts? Find them in Evanston!

Whether you're looking for handcrafted jewelry, cozy clothing items, a new favorite book, or the perfect bottle of wine, Evanston's unique local businesses have you covered! Shop local this holiday season.

No need to worry about packages arriving late – pick up your holiday gifts today right here in Evanston and support your community in the process.

Shop Evanston Made: The pop-up holiday market at 832 Dempster St. is open through December 20. Discover handmade goods and local art.

The best children's books of 2022: From pictures to poetry, the Evanston Public Library knows the perfect books for the children in your life. Check out their list of 101 Great Books for Kids.

City Council adopts 2023 Budget

Following two months of community input and discussion, the Evanston City Council on Monday adopted the City’s 2023 Budget, with expenses totaling $397 million. The budget includes critical investments in City facilities and infrastructure, advancement of the City’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, and expanded funding for the City's Reparations Program. 

Staff is in the process of making all revisions to the budget that were adopted at the December 12 City Council meeting and will provide a final adopted budget document in January 2023.

Helping Evanston sparkle this holiday season

The Streetplus Evanston Clean Team had a busy first two weeks in action! From November 14 through 30, team members:

- Removed graffiti from 330 locations
- Collected 408 trash bags and 10,200 pounds of trash
- Performed a detailed cleaning of 260 street fixtures and 221 trash cans

Reminder: Help reduce overflowing trash cans in our business districts. Garbage bags generated from households, businesses and offices belong in designated refuse containers and dumpsters located in your alley, not in business district sidewalk cans. Please report any issues to Evanston 311.

COVID-19 Update

Cases: Evanston reported 145 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the last seven days, compared to 149 for the week prior. The current seven-day moving average of daily confirmed cases is 20.71. 

COVID-19 Community Risk Level:MEDIUM. 

Hospitalizations:View local COVID-19 hospitalizations.

To date, Evanston has had 17,858 total confirmed cases, and 157 residents have died of illness or complications related to COVID-19. View the City’s interactive COVID-19 dashboard (view on mobile). 

Reduce the spread of RSV 

RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. Most people recover in a week or two, but RSV can be serious, especially for infants and older adults. 

How it spreads: RSV can spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes near others and you get virus droplets in your eyes, nose or mouth. RSV can also spread through touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face before washing your hands.

Symptoms: People infected with RSV usually show symptoms within 4 to 6 days after getting infected. Symptoms of RSV usually include runny nose, decrease in appetite, coughing, sneezing, fever, and/or wheezing. These symptoms usually appear in stages and not all at once.  

What you can do: The CDC recommends the following steps to prevent the spread of RSV: 

- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper shirt sleeve, not your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Avoid close contact, such as kissing, shaking hands, and sharing cups and eating utensils, with others.
- Clean frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs and mobile devices.

Ideally, people with cold-like symptoms should not interact with children at high risk for severe RSV disease. If this is not possible, carefully follow the prevention steps listed above and wash your hands before interacting with high-risk children. 

For more information, please visit the CDC website, or contact Evanston Health & Human Services at 847-448-4311 or [email protected].

More News and Events

Planning a special event in 2023?

Be sure to secure your special event permit! Applications are due January 31. All outdoor events requested on City property, such as a street, park, or sidewalk, or events deemed to significantly impact the City are considered special events.

Save the date: Financial Preparedness Training, January 12

Start the New Year by learning how to become financially secure! The City's Office of Emergency Management will host a free Financial Preparedness Training on Thurs., Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Robert Crown Community Center. 

Help facilitate equitable zoning in Evanston

Joining Forces for Affordable Housing is conducting an Equitable Zoning Project to identify the impacts of Evanston's current zoning code on residents' ability to access housing that is equitable and affordable. You can help by taking the survey or signing up for a project focus group.

Get Engaged

- Virtual 7th Ward Special Topic Meeting, December 15

Community Calendar

- Tuesday Repair Café, Dec. 27

Spreading holiday joy (and toys)

On Wednesday, City staff and volunteers distributed more than 400 holiday food and gift baskets to Evanston community members in need as part of the Mayor's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive!

We're thankful to all those who donated to this year's event, and to the many helpers who braved the cold, soggy conditions to make the holiday season bright for others.