🍦South Suburbs Scoop

December 19th, 2025

John Sintich
December 19, 2025

Happy Friday!

Absolutely wild weather this week. Negative degree wind chills early, then monsoon rain and 30mph winds today. Never a dull moment in Chicagoland!

This will be our last South Suburbs Scoop email before Christmas. I hope you all enjoy the holiday with family and friends!

Here’s what’s happening in our neck of the woods:

Bears Moving to Indiana???
Holiday Giveaway Winner Announced
Pickled Pickleball Courts Opens in Frankfort
Frankfort Chophouse Making Progress to Open
Final Week of Holiday Events in Our Area
Local Job Opportunities
Area Live Music and Sports
Real Estate Round Up

To Our Readers: What would you like to see more in the newsletter? Email [email protected] to provide your feedback!

Let’s Get Into It!

-John

2025 HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCED!

CONGRATULATIONS to Stevie D our 2025 Holiday Giveaway winner of the $1,000 Visa Gift Card! Stay tuned for more giveaways throughout the year! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

WHAT’S NEW IN THE SOUTH ‘BURBS

📍 Pickled Now Open in Frankfort - Details

📍 Frankfort Chophouse Getting Closer to Opening - Details

📍 Tinley’s Amphitheater to Start Separately Charging for Parking - Details

📍 Lincolnway Area Business Women’s Organization Raises $40K in Scholarships For Young Women in New Lenox, Frankfort, Mokena & Manhattan - Details

📍 Orland Shuts Down Fiber Optic Construction For Time-Being - Details

📍 Tinley Park’s New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations - Details

📍 Frankfort Approves Budget for Downtown Planning and Urban Design Consulting - Details

📍 New Laraway Project Transportation Improvement Project - Video

📍 Bears Considering Moving Team to Indiana - Details

Located at the corner of Wolf Rd & W Laraway Rd

Bears Moving to Indiana?

Located adjacent to Planet Fitness and near Starbucks

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

📍 New Waffles Kafe Now Open in Frankfort - Details

📍 Frankfort’s New Whisk & Flame Now Taking Reservations for January - Details

📍 More Old Plank Trail Improvements Complete Starting in New Lenox - Details

📍 ComEd Customers to Receive $803M in Credits throughout Illinois - Details

📍 Orland Park Library Receives $8,000 Donation - Details

UPCOMING HOLIDAY EVENTS

NEW LENOX

📍 Dec 20 - Home for the Holidays Concert & Food Drive for Food Pantry - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Lunch with the Grinch & Ornament Making at Rosati’s - Details

📍 Dec 30 - Noon Year’s Eve Party at the Ice Rink - Details

MOKENA

📍 Dec 19 - Second Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Fox’s Pizza - Details

📍 Dec 21 - NAWS Pet & Family Photos with the Grinch - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Mokena Miracles Wrap Day - Details

📍 Dec 31 - New Year’s Eve Balloon Drop Bash at Urban Air Adventure Park - Details

FRANKFORT

📍 Ongoing - Where to Send Letters to Santa - Details

📍 Dec 19 - Jingle Jam Drop Off Party at the Square - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Create Stunning Winter Centerpiece at the Library - Details

📍 Dec 31 - Noon Years Eve Kids’ Breakfast/Brunch at Social 45 - Details

ORLAND PARK

📍 Dec 19 - The Bridge Teen Center to Host Karaoke Sponsored by Joey’s - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Second Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus at Fox’s Pizza - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Skate with Santa at Winter Wonderland Ice Skating Rink - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Free Photos with Santa - PETS WELCOME! - Details

📍 Dec 31 - Children’s New Year Celebration at Civic Center - Details

📍 Dec 31 - Rink in the New Year at Winter Wonderland Ice Rink - Details

TINLEY PARK

📍 Dec 19 to 21 - Holiday Theater Presents Miracle at 34th Street - Details

📍 Dec 20 - 4th Annual Zumbathon Holiday Event - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Sip, Stitch, & Be Merry by Hailstorm Brewing and Kozy Knits - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Last Minute Shopping at Flipside Bazaar - Details

📍 Dec 23 - Meet and Greet with Santa & Grinch at Chicago Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Surgeries - Details

📍 Dec 31 - Noon Year’s Eve Kid’s Event at Odyssey - Details

MANHATTAN

📍 New Year’s Eve Ball Drops in Times Square! - Details

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

📍 Where to Buy Christmas Trees in Our Area - Details

📍 Ongoing - Meet The Grinch at Joey’s Red Hots (Multiple Locations) - Details

📍 Upcoming Holiday Events with Kozy Knits (Multiple Locations) - Details

CHICAGO & MORE

📍 Now Open: Brookfield Zoo’s Holiday Magic Experience (Chicago) - Details

📍 Now Open: Illumination Event at The Morton Arboretum (Chicago) - Details

📍 Until to Dec 31 - Second City Rudolph Runs Wild Kids Show (Chicago) - Details

📍 Until Jan 2 - Village Festival of Lights (Romeoville) -Details

📍 Until Jan 4 - Winter WonderFest at Navy Pier (Chicago) -Details

📍 Until to Jan 5 - Griffin Museum Christmas Around the World (Chicago) - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Ultimate Elvis Christmas Show at Rialto Square (Joliet) - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Windy City Thunderbolts Holiday Open House (Crestwood) - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Holiday Toy Swap (Homer Glen) - Details

📍 Dec 22 - Meet & Greet with Santa at Crescent Chiropractic (Crest Hill) - Details

UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS & OFFERINGS

📍 Dec 20 - Hearts of Valor Dinner w/ American Legion (Matteson) - Details

📍 Dec 20 - Peewee Picasso’s Children’s Art Event at the Library (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Dec 21 - Puzzle Competition at Hickory Creek Brewing (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Dec 23 - Tuesday $500 Bingo Night at North & Maple (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Dec 23 - Christmas Pajama Party with DJ at Jamo’s Live (Mokena) - Details

📍 Dec 24 - Cousin’s Maine Lobster Truck at Hickory Creek Brewing (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Dec 24 - Trivia Night at Hickory Creek Brewing (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Dec 28 - Bikes and Beers Event at Hickory Creek Brewing - Details

📍 Jan 2 - Winter Dragons Reading Program Family Movie Night (Orland Park) - Details

📍 Jan 10 - Holistic Health Fair at Book Bar (Mokena) - Details

📍 Starting in Jan - Orland Park Library Offers Multiple Adult & Youth Activities - Details

FOR THE KIDDOS

📍 Now Open - Ninja Winter Camp - Ages 6-12 - at Nxt Stop Ninja (New Lenox) - Details

📍 Jan 25 - Noonan Academy Open House (Mokena) - Details

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

📍 Living Waters Children’ Center Hiring Teachers (Manhattan) - Details

📍 Jan 15 - 3rd Annual Southwest Job Fair in Orland Park - Details

CHEAPEST GAS IN THE SOUTH BURBS!

PRICES AS OF 12/18 - Website

📍 Manhattan - $2.84 -⬇️ From as Last Week

📍 New Lenox - $2.76 ⬇️ From Last Week

📍 Mokena - $2.85 ⬇️ From Last Week

📍 Frankfort - $2.85 ⬇️ From Last Week

Get Access to Homes You Won’t Find Online!

🔒 The best deals never hit Zillow or Redfin.
I’ll send you private listings you won’t see anywhere else.

THIS WEEK’S LOCAL LIVE MUSIC

📍 LOUNGE PUPPETS ROCK LIVE - Jamo’s Live (Mokena) 🎟 Details
💲$12.55 | 📅 Fri, Dec 19 | 9PM

📍 MITCH ALVAREZ LIVE - Hickory Creek (New Lenox) 🎟 Details
💲Free | 📅 Fri, Dec 19 | 6:30PM

📍 MORGAN WALLEN EXPERIENCE - Jamo’s Live (Mokena) 🎟 Details
💲$12.55 | 📅 Sat, Dec 20 | 9:30PM

📍 DAVE JERCHA LIVE - Hickory Creek (New Lenox) 🎟 Details
💲Free | 📅 Sat, Dec 20 | 6:30PM

📍 BERNIE GLIM COUNTRY- North & Maple (Tinley Park) 🎟 Details
💲Free | 📅Sun, Dec 21 | 5PM

📍 OPEN MIC NIGHT - Hickory Creek (New Lenox) 🎟 Details
💲Free | 📅Tues, Dec 23 | 6:30PM

📍 CHRISTMAS DAY KARAOKE EVENT - Jamo’s Live (Mokena) 🎟 Details
💲FREE | 📅 Thurs, Dec 25 | 9PM

CHICAGOLAND MUSIC & MORE

📍 Dec 19 & 20 - PBR Chicago “Bucking Into the Windy City” (Chicago) - Details

📍 Dec 31 - Jeff Dunham: Artificial Intelligence Tour (Rosemont) - Details

AREA SPORTS & MORE

📍 Sandburg HS Senior Bowls Two Perfect Games Back-to-Back - Details

📍 Bears Play Packers Again on Saturday at Solider Field

📍 Bulls Head to Cleveland and Atlanta this Weekend

📍 Blackhawks Play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday

Find Your Dream Home — Faster.

🔍 Stop wasting time scrolling outdated listings.
Use my real-time search tool and get instant access to the newest homes in our area.

Real Estate Roundup

This week, the Chicagoland area including Cook and Will county have 9,335 available homes for sale. That is a decrease from last week's total of 9,598 homes available for sale.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage interest rate as of today is: 6.22%.

Mokena - Just Listed: 10 ⎸ Closed: 5
New Lenox - Just Listed: 7 ⎸ Closed: 6
Tinley Park- Just Listed: 16 ⎸ Closed: 14
Frankfort - Just Listed: 4 ⎸ Closed: 12