Waukegan Community Unit School District # 60's Family and Community Engagement  department will host a community-wide Onam Celebration on August 18 on Lincoln Center's lawn. 

All community members are invited to take part in this abbreviated harvest festival celebrated by many Waukegan families. Community members interested in participating will have the option of either attending a morning session, which begins at 10:30 a.m., or an evening session at 6 p.m. 

During the event, families will be grouped together to create their own Pookalam, a traditional circular flower petal design. Families will be provided flowers and petals to design their Pookalam, but are also welcome to bring their own supplies. Additional craft stations will also be set up for families. The event is being held outdoors in order to better follow COVID-19 protocols. 

Onam is an annual harvest festival celebrated in the southern Indian state of Kerala, and draws from Hindu mythology. The festival is traditionally celebrated over a span of 10 days, during which people take part in prayer, cultural programs, boat races, traditional rituals and activities, dance performances, as well as the creation of Pookalam.