Holiday festival company files for bankruptcy with 30-plus Illinois businesses unpaid

For almost two years, NBC 5 Responds has reported on the trail of lawsuits and debts left behind by a company that organized Christmas light festivals around the Chicago area. 

Now, that company has declared bankruptcy.

It’s a move that leaves several Illinois businesses, police departments, and one children’s nonprofit out tens of thousands of dollars.

This isn’t the first time the owner of the company, "Artistic Holiday Design," filed for bankruptcy. The last time was in 2010, when he accrued more than $10 million in debt he couldn’t pay off. Now, court records show he’s in a similar situation- and this time, more than 30 local businesses may be out their money too.

The Amaze Light Festival came to Rosemont in 2021. Then Tinley park in 2022. A third festival was also held in New York.

But what followed all these events was a flurry of lawsuits over millions of dollars in unpaid bills and broken contracts, filed by venues, transportation companies and vendors. 

"Artistic Holiday Design" provides the light up holiday decorations for its festivals- but hires local companies for things like entertainment, labor and set up.

In February 2024, company CEO Derek Norwood sat down with our NBC Responds counterparts in Florida, near his home in Cape Coral.

“We didn't come close to the amount of tickets we needed to break even,” said Norwood, when questioned about the $4 million in lawsuits he was facing for non-payment at the time.

Norwood pledged he’d pay all his debts by the end of 2024.

“We are currently making payment. We’ll continue making payments as money comes in,” said Norwood.

Now in 2025, and more than two years after the festival, Kim Scerine, with the children’s nonprofit dance group On-Broadway dancers, is one of the entities still waiting for Norwood to make good on his word.

“I feel like I've been lied to for the last two years,” said Scerine, who says Norwood still owes her dance troop $27,000 for their performances and stage work during the 2022 Tinley Park festival.

Last month, Scerine learned Norwood filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for both companies involved in his holiday light festivals.

Bankruptcy documents show Artistic Holiday Design is $12.6 million in debt- owing money to more than 100 creditors, including nearly three dozen large and small businesses in illinois.

Scerine’s debt, however, was not listed. And because Norwood is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, he could continue to operate his business.

A Florida court will oversee the restructuring and potential liquidation of his assets.

“I just think that the bankruptcy laws are not set up to protect our businesses," Scerine said. "He is being provided more protections than I am, or any of the 100 plus companies that are owed money that did work, signed contracts. There's almost no warning you can give because we followed all the rules. We signed the contracts, we showed up for the work. We didn't break any rules. And then here we stand."

Norwood previously told NBC Responds, Scerine’s debt wasn’t a priority because she had not filed a lawsuit.

“The entire situation is unfair for her. We also have to pay our losses, I mean, the lawsuits and [Scerine] hasn't filed. We have to settle those lawsuits in order to make sure our Venture Capital Group continues to support us. Our investor is the most important part here,” Norwood said.

Scerine previously told NBC 5 Responds she couldn’t afford to take the company to court.

The Tinley Park Police Department was also owed $80,000 for traffic services, but inquiries into the status of their unpaid debt weren’t answered.

Other Illinois companies still owed money by the company include: Ark Hospitality Solutions, Blue Peak Tents, Hotspots Agency, J Licitra Mgmt, Midwest Event Solutions, Rosemont Exposition Services, SLN Contractors, and Technotrix.

Norwood did not respond to our request for a comment.