Niles Mayor George Alpogianis held up his phone in front of a crowd of about 3,000, according to village estimates, in a parking lot at the village’s Civic Center Plaza Saturday evening, telling the crowd he had Santa Claus on the line. The man in red was on his way to the village’s Holly Jolly fest.
While waiting for Santa to appear, Alpogianis led the crowd in singing “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
As the song entered its second verse, people in the crowd began looking up at the sky, where a helicopter was making a broad circle. Moments later, as children jumped up and down in excitement, it landed, delivering the white-bearded fellow everyone was waiting to see.
The helicopter’s pilot, Niles Police, Fire, Public Works and the Village Manager’s office all worked in conjunction to ensure the safety of Santa and festival attendees since September, according to Niles Community Engagement & Marketing Supervisor Katie Schneider, who organized the festival. She said it was part of Alpogianis’ vision to kick off the holiday season.
The village hired Lenny Khayat, the helicopter’s pilot and also a restaurateur, to fly the aircraft. Niles Spokesperson Mitch Johnson said Khayat flies helicopters in his free time and has flown in Santa to other communities, hospitals and charity-related events.
Alpogianis, with the help of some children, then flicked on the lights of the village’s Christmas tree, which this year has a new blue and white design and a new location in front of the Niles Family Fitness Center.
The Holly Jolly Fest also featured a tent where various vendors offered hot food and drink, fire pits for making s’mores, a juggler, horse drawn carriage rides, a DJ and other entertainment, hot chocolate, a petting zoo and a PACE holly trolley.
![The Niles Police Department received complaints of possible drug activity at a residence in the 8600 block of North Ozark Avenue. Niles Police Department investigators initiated an investigation into the residence that culminated in the execution of a search warrant on 4/23/2024. During a search of the residence, NPD detectives and investigators discovered a cannabis grow operation in the garage and recovered approximately 40 pounds of raw cannabis and the supplies used to grow it. An adult male and female were taken into custody at the scene. The female was later released without criminal charges. The male suspect was charged […]](https://www.chicagotribune.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ppn-l-nhs-cannabis-grow-ozark-01-rotated.jpg?w=467 "The Niles Police Department received complaints of possible drug activity at a residence in the 8600 block of North Ozark Avenue. Niles Police Department investigators initiated an investigation into the residence that culminated in the execution of a search warrant on 4/23/2024. During a search of the residence, NPD detectives and investigators discovered a cannabis grow operation in the garage and recovered approximately 40 pounds of raw cannabis and the supplies used to grow it. An adult male and female were taken into custody at the scene. The female was later released without criminal charges. The male suspect was charged […]")