Commencement

Saturday, May 11, 2024
Ravinia Festival Park
201 Ravinia Park Road
Highland Park, IL

The parking lot opens at 8:30 a.m. and the gates will open at 9 a.m. Graduates must check in at 9 a.m. The ceremony begins at 10:15 a.m. and ends at approximately 12 p.m.  Graduates should leave their personal items with guests.

Each graduate can register for up to six guest tickets. Tickets are electronic and will be emailed directly to guests in the week prior to Commencement. Graduates will be able to reserve tickets soon. Watch your email for the link.

As always, the ceremony will be available via livestream for friends and family who are unable to attend. If additional tickets become available, a notice will be emailed to graduates on April 15. Tickets are mandatory.

Accessible Parking
Designated accessible parking for vehicles bearing valid Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) disability parking placards or license plates is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Accessible parking is located on the right-of-way south of the Tyler Gate (west gate) off of St. Johns Avenue. Accessible parking is also available in the west lot, which is located off of Green Bay Road. Parking is limited, so please plan to arrive early. The distance from the west parking lot to the Pavilion is approximately 0.15 miles. 

Accessible Seating
The Pavilion has wheelchair and scooter accessible locations where guests can remain in their wheelchairs or transfer to seats. 

Wheelchairs
Ravinia Festival park does not provide wheelchairs or golf carts for transportation to the pavilion.   

Accessible Restrooms
There are many restrooms throughout the park and all are accessible.

Ravinia Festival Park is a scenic outdoor concert facility located 11 miles south of campus in Highland Park, IL. Click here for information on parking and directions. There is no cost to park at Ravinia. Please note: The parking lot closes at 2 p.m. and does not re-open until Monday morning. Please do not leave your car in the lot after the ceremony.

Commencement, which will last up to two hours, is held at scenic Ravinia Festival Park, an outdoor concert facility. No matter what the forecast, it is always cold! The outdoor pavilion at Ravinia has a concrete floor that typically keeps temperatures ten degrees cooler than outside the shelter. Combined with the wind off of Lake Michigan, the result is a very cold environment. Warm clothing and shoes, winter coats, hats, and gloves, and blankets are recommended for guest comfort, especially for children and grandparents. There are no heated, indoor facilities in which to warm up at Ravinia.

Make sure you have a place to stay! Click here for a list of hotels close to campus (some with special rates for Lake Forest College guests).

All graduates receive a black cap and gown (that they get to keep) at Cap and Gown Pick-Up on April 16 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Mohr Student Center (lower level). The ensemble includes a traditional tassel that should be worn on their cap at Commencement. Special cords, stoles, serapes and pins for College-recognized national academic honor societies or registered student organizations are permitted to be worn during the Commencement ceremony. These items are not distributed at Cap and Gown Pick-Up. Please check with the organization.

The cost of the cap and gown is included in senior dues and size information was provided on the Intent to Graduate form.

The highlight of commencement is, of course, walking across the stage to receive your diploma. The Dean of Faculty wants to be certain to pronounce your name exactly the way you (and your parents) would like it to be heard. To help the Dean, we need an example of you pronouncing your name.

If you have a smart phone, record your voice saying your full name the way you want it read at Commencement (just sound, but video is fine too). Email or text your recording to David Levinson (levinson@lakeforest.edu, text: 847-708-1901) in ITS. If you send it by text, please type your name into the text along with the recording.