Big Ideas for Downtown + Two Soccer Sectional Runs + A Wicker Park Story From 1955

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Our Highland Halloween Guide 2026 is packed with haunted homes, trunk-or-treats, family activities, Halloween night plans and more - with new additions being added throughout October.

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It was a big week for Highland soccer, with both varsity teams battling their way to IHSAA sectional championship games before their seasons came to an end Saturday.

The Lady Trojans opened Class 2A Sectional 17 with a 12-0 win over River Forest, scoring 10 goals in the first half, then shut out Lowell 2-0 to reach the title game. Highland’s run ended with a 6-0 loss to host Illiana Christian in Dyer.

The boys team opened Class 3A Sectional 1 with a 4-2 win over Merrillville, then survived a 1-1 battle with Munster by winning the penalty-kick shootout 5-3. Back home at Highland High School for the championship, the Trojans fell 4-0 to Lake Central.

Two Highland teams reaching sectional finals in the same season is still plenty to celebrate. Congratulations to both teams, their coaches and especially the seniors who played their final games in Trojan blue.

Sources: IHSAA girls and boys soccer sectional brackets.

On October 16, 1955, a towering crucifix was dedicated at Wicker Memorial Park near the busy intersection of Ridge Road and U.S. 41.

The monument was placed there by the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus and stood about 18 feet high including its concrete base. A plaque described it as a memorial to men and women who had given their lives in defense of the country.

But the monument became controversial almost immediately. Local ministerial groups objected to placing such an explicitly Christian symbol on public property, arguing that it crossed the line between church and state.

Those objections eventually grew into a long-running legal fight. In 1993, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that keeping the crucifix in the public park violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

The crucifix was later moved from Wicker Park to the grounds of St. James the Less Catholic Church in Highland, where it remained part of the area’s religious history.

So what began as a 1955 memorial became one of the more unusual chapters in Highland-area history - part war memorial, part religious landmark, and eventually the center of a constitutional case.

Sources: Gonzales v. North Township of Lake County; Diocese of Gary historical account.

October is National Pedestrian Safety Month, making this a good time for drivers and walkers to pay a little extra attention as daylight gets shorter and more people are out enjoying Highland’s trails and neighborhoods.

That reminder feels especially timely this week. On Wednesday, the American Discovery 250 Relay is expected to travel through Highland on the Erie Lackawanna Trail, bringing spectators and relay participants to several crossings around town.

Indiana safety officials remind drivers to:

Walkers are encouraged to use sidewalks and crossings when available, stay alert, and make themselves easier to see after dark with bright or reflective clothing.

The message matters locally, too. Highland’s Safe Streets and Roads for All plan calls the Erie Lackawanna Trail an important pedestrian and cycling connection through town and notes that continued traffic-safety improvements are needed.

So whether you’re walking the neighborhood, crossing Ridge Road, riding the trail, or heading out to cheer on the America 250 Relay Wednesday, a little extra attention from everyone can make the trip safer.

👉 Planning to watch the relay? Read our earlier story for the America 250 Relay expected Highland route and suggested viewing areas.

Sources:

What could downtown Highland look like a few years from now? Town officials tossed around several possibilities during a Sept. 14 Redevelopment Commission study session, ranging from easier rules for businesses to a more colorful downtown entrance.

No votes were taken and none of the ideas have dedicated budgets yet, but officials discussed several projects they would like to explore.

Among them were rewriting Highland’s building and zoning codes to make opening or expanding a business easier, creating a more consistent town branding package, adding a downtown sign or mural to the former Highland Department Store elevator tower, and improving the Kennedy Avenue streetscape with landscaping and fewer curb cuts.

Other ideas included uplighting the Ridge Road overpass, repairing uneven downtown sidewalks and broken sidewalk lights, and offering incentives aimed at attracting more walk-in shops and restaurants rather than primarily appointment-based businesses.

Officials also talked about upgrading the Sharp athletic fields to attract youth baseball and softball tournaments and continuing conversations surrounding redevelopment of the former Ultra Foods site on Indianapolis Boulevard.

And one idea already familiar to downtown visitors came up again: more street-closed crawls and community events, which officials said have been popular with crowds.

For now, these are ideas rather than approved projects, but they offer a glimpse at what Highland officials are considering for the town’s next phase.

🎥 Want to hear the discussion yourself? Watch the Sept. 14 study session recording. The Redevelopment Commission discussion begins about three hours into the recording.