A group of community members in Glencoe throws a block party to help build a sense of belonging among both the town’s newcomers and its long-time residents. Those attending the party enjoyed music by DJ Hannah Tjoflat and DJ Johnny. The St. Pius “Matachines” dancers performed a ceremonial folk dance. Free activities for kids and families included pinatas to take a swing at and a StoryWalk® — an outdoor display of the children’s book “All Are Welcome” in English and Spanish. 

Newcomers and long-time residents gathered to celebrate Glencoe as a place where we belong. This year's Welcoming Week Block Party included music by DJ Marrano, live performances, a community resource fair, food vendors, pinatas, kids' activities, yard games, and root beer floats. Ryan Voss also declared September 9-18 as Welcoming Week in the City of Glencoe, encouraging all residents to greet their neighbor and those that they don't know and participate in welcoming celebrations.

Together We Are Glencoe takes on hosting duties this year. Welcoming Week kicked off with Community Coffee at Rhema Coffee Shop. Community members enjoyed a free beverage, including the “Hello Neighbor” special, a drink created locally just for Welcoming Week. The Piñata Decorating Party provided supplies to decorate a mini piñata and make s’mores. And Together We Are Glencoe created a float as part of the Glencoe-Silver Lake Schools homecoming parade. It spotlighted several international students studying abroad in the community.

Glencoe community members shared coffee, roasted marshmallows, read books and crafted together as part of this year’s local Welcoming Week celebrations. A highlight was the Lotería craft party, where visitors got to create their own Lotería board and try out the game. Lotería is a traditional Mexican board game of chance, similar to bingo, and is played with a deck of cards featuring illustrations in place of numbers.

A series of family friendly events marked 5 years of Welcoming Week in Glencoe. It kicked off by celebrating the new additions to the Glencoe Community Gardens at a ribbon cutting and open house. Coborn's hosted a Parking Lot Party with food trucks, music, games and activities. Glencoe Public Library invited kids to enjoy stories from the “Welcome Wagon” filled with children’s books that promote kindness, inclusion and understanding. And the Glencoe Police Department teamed up with Together We Are Glencoe for free s’mores with local police officers and a scavenger hunt and prizes.