Celebrate Wilmette's 150th!

This weekend is Wilmette's big event to celebrate our 150th anniversary! This year, the Village is commemorating this important anniversary with a block party in downtown Wilmette with music, food, performances, and kids activities. Throughout this year, other Wilmette 150 events have included local history programs at the library and museum, concerts, outdoor activities at Gillson Park, a trolley tour, and much more! Projects in the community have included an oral history project, a photography project, the Glenview Road Beautification Project, and the creation of a new space called Ouilmette Way. 

Have you ever wondered about how Wilmette has celebrated its anniversary in the past? 

In 1947, for the Village's 75th anniversary, the Wilmette Life published a special anniversary supplement issue, filled with bits of history about the village, old photographs, and advertisements for local businesses. Take a look at this special issue, or reserve a bound copy to browse at home! 

The celebration in 1972 for Wilmette's 100th anniversary is a lot like this year's festivities! Wilmette residents observed the occasion with music, food, and other performances! Browse our photograph collection from that centennial celebration! 

Learn more about this year's sesquicentennial events, including the Wilmette Block Party on Saturday, September 10, 2022, and any other Wilmette 150 events happening this fall. Are you interested in sharing your Wilmette story? The library's oral history project will continue throughout the fall.  Questions about local history or the oral history project? Contact our Genealogy and Local History Librarian, EvaAnne Johnson.