Most of Cicero's big public nights this fall had one organizer behind them, and so does the season's finale at Community Park. That organizer is Cicero Friends of the Park, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit advisory group that assists the Cicero Parks Department at Red Bridge Park and Community Park. When you buy a bingo card or a cookie, the money goes back into the parks you're standing in.
Two of those nights are left in 2026. Bingo Night @ Red Bridge is Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Cicero Christmas Tree Lighting Festival & Parade is Saturday, Nov. 28, two days after Thanksgiving. The Cicero Friends of the Park events page lists no December events after that.
A season that pays for itself, one event at a time
Here is how the fall has played out at Red Bridge Park so far, according to the nonprofit's own event listings:
| Date (2026) | Event | Where | Cost | Where the money goes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., Sept. 7 | 35th Annual Red Bridge Park Car Show & Craft Fair | Red Bridge Park | Not listed | Cicero Parks |
| Sun., Sept. 20 | Spaghetti Fundraiser, Jeep Cruise-In & Concert | Red Bridge Park | Dinner by free-will donation; concert and bounce houses free | Cicero Police, Fire & Public Safety |
| Fri.–Sat., Oct. 23–24 | 7th Annual Haunted Trail & Fall Festival | Red Bridge Park | Free-will donation | Cicero Parks |
| Wed., Nov. 11 | Bingo Night @ Red Bridge | Red Bridge Park | $20 for 15 games | Cicero Parks Department |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Christmas Tree Lighting Festival & Parade | Cicero Community Park | Not listed | Not stated |
The edition numbers tell you how long this has been going on. The car show reached its 35th year in September. The Haunted Trail, a newer event, reached its seventh in October. Most nights on the list ran on free-will donations or free admission, and one raised money for the town's police and fire departments. Bingo is the only event on the calendar with a fixed ticket price.
Why the calendar moves inland in November
Red Bridge Park is the summer anchor, with a fishing pier, a kayak launch, walking paths and the Red Bridge Marina's 60 boat slips. The Town of Cicero runs boat-slip season from April 1 through October 31 each year, so by the time this calendar turns to November, the slips are out of season.
The park still has one more fundraiser in it. After bingo, the season's last event moves across town to Cicero Community Park for the tree lighting. Red Bridge's Community Building also stays useful into the colder months. The town says it covers 2,500 square feet, holds 150 guests and has a full kitchen, and residents can rent it starting at $50 an hour for four hours or less.
Wednesday, Nov. 11: Bingo Night @ Red Bridge
Bingo Night starts at 6 p.m. at Red Bridge Park, and Cicero Friends of the Park's listing lays out the details:
- Cost: $20 buys 15 games
- Food: a taco bar, with drinks available for purchase
- Prizes: donated by local businesses
- Age: players must be 18 or older
- Veterans: the night falls on Veterans Day, and the organizers are honoring veterans with a free dinner
The donated prizes are where the fundraising model shows most clearly. Local businesses supply the prizes, players pay for cards and tacos, and the money supports the Cicero Parks Department. This post publishes six days before bingo night. If you're thinking of bringing a group, check the listing before you go, since the page does not mention advance sales or a seating limit.
Saturday, Nov. 28: the tree lighting and parade at Community Park
The season ends at Cicero Community Park, where the Cicero Christmas Tree Lighting Festival & Parade runs from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The event page lists:
- Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, plus "reindeer" ponies
- Food and craft vendors
- Face painting and kids' crafts
- Cookie decorating
- Letters to Santa
- Fire pits and holiday music
The parade is open to entries, and the event page links a downloadable 2026 Christmas Parade Entry Form. If you're planning a float or a group entry, go to that form for the requirements. Check the same page for the parade route and start time as the date gets closer.
Unlike bingo, the listing gives no admission price. Food and craft vendors are a fixture of the night, so buying hot cocoa or a handmade ornament may be the simplest way to support the evening. The organizers also take sponsorships for anyone who wants to give more directly.
Dinner on Jackson Street before either night
Both events fall around dinnertime. Bingo starts at 6 p.m. with tacos on site, and the tree lighting runs from 4:30 into the evening. If you want a sit-down meal first, Red Bridge Bistro at 109 W. Jackson St. opened in September 2025.
General Manager Tom Paris described the menu to Current as elevated pub food. "Our pot roast sliders are our No. 1 seller," Paris told Current, describing chuck roast braised for four to five hours and served with its strained cooking liquid as a dip, "a play on a French dip, but our style." Current also reported fried deviled eggs and a fried bologna sandwich made with thin-sliced mortadella on sourdough. The bistro takes online orders through its website, which is handy if you want to pick up dinner on the way.
When Cicero's calendar goes quiet in December
The Cicero Friends of the Park calendar has no events after Nov. 28, but there is a holiday-lights option down the road in Noblesville. The Reporter reported that Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad is launching a Holiday Lights Railbike Adventure in Noblesville, running from Nov. 14 through Jan. 2, 2027. According to The Reporter, riders board at Forest Park just south of Hobbs Station, check in at Santa's House and pedal through a 60-foot light tunnel, with a stop for hot chocolate and a cookie.
Tickets start at $24.95 per person, or $89.95 for a full four-person railbike, through NickelPlateExpress.com. For a family of four, the full railbike costs $9.85 less than four single seats at $99.80. Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad is a nonprofit too, so this one also follows the season's pattern of a local organization paying for itself through the people who show up.
Back in Cicero, the next round of park events should show up on the Cicero Friends of the Park calendar once the nonprofit posts its 2027 dates. Until then, $20 at bingo on Nov. 11 and a cookie at Community Park on Nov. 28 are the last two chances this year to pay into the parks you'll be using next summer.
The team at Midtown Home Collective follows Cicero's park calendar the same way it follows the Morse Reservoir market. If you're a Cicero homeowner wondering how life around Red Bridge Park fits into your plans for next year, schedule a free consultation, and we'll talk through it over coffee after the holidays.
