Popular sales planned for month’s end

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Updated: November 2, 2011 12:36AM

Bargains will be bountiful in Highland Park toward the end of the month as two popular annual sales will return to the downtown business district.

The Highland Park Chamber of Commerce’s annual sidewalk sale will begin July 28 and run through July 30 on Central Avenue, Sheridan Road, and First and Second streets.

Starting at 10 a.m., downtown retailers will set up shop outside, offering their wide-ranging selections of clothing, shoes, jewelry, home décor, kids clothing and books marked down between 50 and 75 percent.

The chamber will set up an information booth in Port Clinton Square, where attendees also can enter a raffle to win a $500 downtown Highland Park shopping spree, local spa services, Ravinia concert tickets or restaurant gift cards.

“The chamber office gets calls all year long from people across the country asking, ‘When is Sidewalk Sale?’” said chamber Executive Director Ginny Glasner in a news release announcing the shopping event. “This year a fan from Arizona called to say she was making her plane reservations based on the dates of Sidewalk Sale.”

For more information, including a list of participating merchants, visit www.chamberhp.com or call (847) 432-0284.

Sheridan Road bargains

Just north on Sheridan Road, bargain hunters also can find discounted art at The Art Center of Highland Park’s 23rd annual “Gogh Green” recycled art sale.

The event, which features thousands of pieces of pre-owned art works, is free and open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily starting July 30, running through Aug. 18.

The opening night party, which provides guests the first picks, will be from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. July 29 in the gallery, 1957 Sheridan Road. Opening evening tickets cost $75 in advance or $85 at the door, and include an additional silent auction, appetizers and dessert.

The Art Center has received the art bounty from individual collectors, galleries and estate donations. The offerings include paintings, prints, multi-dimensional art, jewelry, sculpture, glass, furniture and decorative objects

For more information, call The Art Center at (847) 432-1888 or visit www.theartcenterhp.org