On Monday, November 2, Village staff begin pulling the scarecrow crosses out of Heritage Park. Registration for Gnomer Glen opens the same day. Seventeen days later, on November 19, every decorated gnome and snowman has to be finished. None of that work goes on view until the display opens at the end of the month.
So the holiday display at 14240 W. 151st St. gets made in the quietest weeks of the year, while the lawn is empty. Most of the park's December look comes from neighbors who used a few November evenings to paint wood. The Village provides the blanks and the setting. If you've walked past the gnomes in past years and thought you'd enter one someday, this is the window.
November 2 Does Two Jobs
The scarecrows have one more weekend. The Village's 2026 Scarecrow Lane rules offered 35 display spots this year on a first-come, first-served basis. Each entry cost $15 and came with six-foot cross sticks. Winners come from an online vote, and the Village says it will contact them by Wednesday, November 4.
If you built a scarecrow, here's what happens after removal starts. Village staff take the crosses down and let builders know when their scarecrows are ready. Pickup is at Village Hall's Event door on the west side of the building. Builders who want to keep a scarecrow but can't make the pickup date are asked to email [email protected] to make other arrangements.
The display dates differ depending on where you look. A Will County Gazette piece from October 9 said the Scarecrow Walk would stay up through the end of the month. The board-approved event calendar that Patch reported in January runs Scare-itage Park and the Scarecrow Walk from October 1 through November 2. Either way, the Halloween weekend of October 31 and November 1 is the last full weekend to see them.
Seventeen Days to Build a Gnome
The Village's Fall/Winter 2026 newsletter keeps the instructions short:
"Gnomes and snowmen must be completed by November 19 and will be on display the month of December."
The entry fee is $15. Individuals, families, organizations and businesses can all enter, and the display with the most votes wins a prize. Registrants get a choice of blank: a five-foot wooden snowman or a three-foot wooden gnome. Registration runs through the Village's Gnomer Glen page.
This year's deadline comes earlier than last year's. In 2025, Patch reported that pickup started November 3 and finished entries were due back at Village Hall by November 25. The 2026 date of November 19 cuts almost a week. It also lands a week before Thanksgiving, so the holiday weekend can't be used as painting time. Last year's pickup steps and separate gnome and snowman prices belonged to 2025. For 2026, go by the Village's current registration page.
Last year's numbers give a sense of scale. Patch reported that 15 snowmen and 20 gnomes were available in 2025, or 35 pieces in all. That matches the 35 scarecrow spots offered this October. In both seasons the display is sized for roughly three dozen entries.
Planning on a five-foot snowman? Start with materials. Greater Goods Thrift Center at 13412 W. 159th St. is a new 12,000-square-foot nonprofit thrift store. It held its ribbon-cutting on September 23 and could be an early stop for scarves, hats or anything else a wooden figure might wear.
What Fills the Weeks While the Park Is Bare
From November 2 until the gnomes go up, Heritage Park has no display. The Village's November events take place somewhere else, or they last only a morning.
Sunday, November 8, noon to 3 p.m. The Village's Veterans Celebration moves to Konow's Corn Maze at 16849 S. Cedar Road. The Will County Gazette describes it as a free event for current and former service members and their families, with food, music and activities. The Village also asks veterans who aren't on its list yet to contact the Village office. Konow's describes itself as a farm with an animal farm, rides and an indoor playland.
Wednesday, November 11. The board's 2026 calendar includes a Veterans Day package delivery. Village Hall is closed all day for an in-house training day, so plan any errands there for another day.
Saturday, November 14. The Village's Fall/Winter newsletter lists a free shred event in the Village Hall parking lot from 1 to 3 p.m. No appointment is needed. It's for residential shredding only, with a limit of two to five bags or boxes, and it may end early if the truck fills up. If you can, bring a nonperishable food item for the Fish Food Pantry. The Visit Chicago Southland listing shows a different time and location for the same date, so check the Village's site before you load the car. The shred event is five days before the gnome deadline.
Thursday, November 19. Gnomes and snowmen must be finished.
The veterans event is the only part of this stretch built for socializing. The rest is quiet time to finish your entry.
December 5 Turns the Display Into a Backdrop
When the finished figures go on display, the Village's biggest winter evening happens around them. Homer for the Holidays is Saturday, December 5, at Heritage Park, from 4 to 7 p.m. A special-needs Santa hour runs from 3 to 4:30 p.m., and admission is free. The newsletter lists photos with Santa, seasonal refreshments and a tree-lighting ceremony. The Visit Chicago Southland listing adds music and costumed characters.
The holiday light display starts that night and stays up through January 4. So the gnomes stand under the lights for most of December, and the lights stay on a few days into January after the gnomes' month ends.
Here's the full stretch from the last scarecrow to the last light:
| Date | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 2 | Scarecrow removal begins; Gnomer Glen registration opens | Heritage Park; Village website |
| Nov. 4 | Scarecrow winners contacted by this date | By the Village |
| Nov. 8 | Veterans Celebration, noon to 3 p.m. | Konow's Corn Maze, 16849 S. Cedar Rd. |
| Nov. 11 | Veterans Day package delivery; Village Hall closed | Village Hall |
| Nov. 14 | Free shred event, 1 to 3 p.m. per the Village newsletter | Village Hall parking lot |
| Nov. 19 | Gnomes and snowmen due | Village |
| Dec. 5 | Homer for the Holidays, 4 to 7 p.m.; lights turn on | Heritage Park |
| Nov. 30 through December | Gnomer Glen on display | Heritage Park |
| Jan. 4 | Last day of the holiday light display | Heritage Park |
The Same Lawn, Three Times a Year
The handoff from scarecrows to gnomes is part of a yearly cycle. The board-approved 2026 calendar puts Tulips & Gnomes in the Park at Heritage Park from May 1 to 29, then Scare-itage Park and the Scarecrow Walk in October, then Gnomer Glen in December. That gives the park three seasons of displays made mostly by residents.
The budget lines in that calendar show who does the work. The Village estimated $12,000 for Scare-itage Park and $10,000 for Homer for the Holidays. It estimated $1,000 for Gnomer Glen, a display that runs for a month. With so little spent on it, the display depends on the gnomes and snowmen that residents make.
This is also Homer Glen's 25th year. The Village incorporated in 2001, according to the Will County Gazette. Patch reported that the anniversary would be marked at events throughout the year rather than with a single birthday party. The December gnomes are the last display of the anniversary year.
If you plan to paint one, mark Monday, November 2, on the calendar now. Registration opens that morning, and November 19 is the deadline.
At Lena Matariyeh and Community Connections Group, we follow Heritage Park's calendar closely because we know these neighbors and these streets. If you're entering a gnome this year and also wondering what your Homer Glen home is worth, we'd be glad to help with both. Connect Now — Get Your Free Home Valuation.
