When: Saturday, December 07, 2024

Where: Morton Arboretum Visitors Center 

Time: 7:00PM- 9:00PM 

About the Hike:

• Illumination at Morton Arboretum: The 2024 exhibit features 17 displays of lights and music. The theme will be country music on the night we attend. We already slipped them the Cowboy Carter album to play for us. The 1 mile ADA compliant route leads you through 50 acres of the Morton Arboretum. Consider this walk to be easy and well paved. Last year it took us about 30-45 mins to walk through the show. 

What to expect : No matter your mode of transportation, we will be meeting right outside the visitors center for introductions and directions. 

At about 7:15 you will be able to start walking the course to see the lights displays. The hike will be self lead along a one way route and you are free to move at your own pace. Along the route you are able to purchase drinks and refreshments. As you are exploring we will be setting up the bon fires. In our BPO only VIP section we will have hotdogs, s'mores and spiked and non spiked warm apple cider. 

When you finish your walk we will show you to the VIP area where everyone will be meeting for the BPO party. You are free to roast hotdogs and s'mores while we listen to a few tunes around the fire. 

At about 8:35 we will make a last call for food and drinks. During this time everyone should use the bathroom and make sure you have everything you brought along with you. After everyone is done walking, eating and socializing, we will pack up and head out at 9PM. Please do not drink and drive. 

 *We will hike rain or shine (unless issa a flood warning or tornado or somethin'). 

BUS INFO: The bus is exclusively available to those who signed up through our newsletter. If you registered using the link in our bio, please disregard this message. Transportation is not included for social media invites. Tickets will be checked, so if your confirmation email does not mention transportation, please plan to drive yourself.

When: Saturday, December 07, 2024

Where: Union Park Basketball /Tennis Courts

Time: 5:00PM- 10:00PM 

We will meet at Union Park for check in by 5:00 PM. Please come prepared to check in and sign liability waivers. This event is sponsored by Morton Arboretum. The bus is also supplied by Morton Arboretum, so make sure you thank them in the content you share. 

We will depart from Union park by 5:45PM. The bus ride to reach the Arboretum will take about an hour. The bus will NOT have a bathroom onboard but Morton Arboretum has plenty of nice, clean, indoor bathrooms with running water. 

At the end of the night we will start walking to the bus at 8:55 and we will depart at 9:00PM. We will be back at our pick up spot no later than 10:00PM.

For more info about Illumination please visit our Morton Arboretum's website. 

FAQ's 

When can I sign up? The link will be HERE November 27th at 6PM CST 

Why is the form unavailable/ link not working? That is because we are out of tickets or its BEFORE November 27 6PM CST. We are only able to accommodate 40 people on this trip. We close the sign up when capacity has been met. 

Can I drive myself/ Meet you there? Yes, follow the directions above. The bus transportation is only open to newsletter participants.

Can I or a friend tag along without a ticket? No, for safety, trail etiquette and intimacy we like to keep our numbers low.

Where is the closest CTA Station? Union park is accessible via Green and Pink line trains and the Ashland and Madison buses. There is NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION to Morton Arboretum.

Is there parking near Union Park? Yes, plenty of street parking, arrive early just in case you need to circle the block. 

Is there Parking at Morton Arboretum? Yes, when you arrive at the gate you will give the agent a code, after you are let in please park in the visitors center parking lot. 

How do I know if I secured a spot? We will email the first 40 people a confirmation by Saturday December 2nd! The google forms receipt is NOT your confirmation. Look for an email titled "BPO Hikes Confirmation" in your inbox and spam. The email will include a code to give the gate agent when you arrive.

*PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP IF YOU ARE "NOT SURE" ABOUT YOUR ATTENDANCE. DO NOT TAKE A SPOT IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO SHOW UP. WE HAVE EXTREMELY LIMITED RESOURCES, PLEASE DO NOT WASTE THEM.