Oak Park First Fridays
Welcome to First Fridays, a monthly street festival in Oak Park that transforms a different business district into a vibrant, open-air celebration of everything local. Shop the streets, dance to the beats, sip under the stars and discover something new every time. This is how Oak Park does summer!
Location: Oak Park
Riverside 150th Anniversary Celebration
The beautiful village of Riverside is celebrating its sesquicentennial anniversary this month! Festivities include a live concert, soiree and more fun you won't want to miss!
Location: Riverside
Remembering the Eastland Disaster 110 Years Later
Join the Historical Society of Forest Park on Saturday at Casa Humilde for a powerful event marking the 110th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster. The Eastland Disaster Historical Society will present the story of the tragic capsizing of the S.S. Eastland in the Chicago River in 1915, which claimed the lives of 844 people—many of them young workers headed to a company picnic. Among the victims were two residents of Forest Park, and many others are buried in Forest Park cemeteries.
Location: Forest Park
National Night Out
Celebrate community in Westchester at National Night Out. Enjoy free food and ice cream, music, a touch-a-truck, family activities, a foam party and so much more!
Location: Westchester
Franklin Park Party
Spend an evening with friends and the Park District of Franklin Park enjoying free food and fun with the family! These casual gatherings are part of a six-year park tour where park district officials visit every park in the district and they can’t wait to see you this summer!
Location: Franklin Park
Thursday Night Out: Art Night
Celebrate the arts at Thursday Night Out with live music and a pop-up art market featuring the unique work of local artists and arts-related non-profit organizations on site with information about their programs!
Location: Oak Park
Wonder Works Ocean Wonders
Ocean Wonders splashes into Wonder Works this August! The museum will be filled with activities celebrating all things fictional and real found in the ocean! There's even a mermaid meet and greet and an ocean creatures touch and learn experience with Oak Park Natural Pet & Fish.
Location: Oak Park
Paperboat Palooza
Hop in a paper boat of your making and race other teams in paper boats at this unique and fun Forest Park nautical event at the Forest Park Aquatic Center! Spectators are welcome to enjoy watching the cardboard boat race for free.
Location: Forest Park
In Ernie’s Footsteps: A Walking Tour of Young Hemingway’s Oak Park
A 90-minute outdoor tour explores young Hemingway’s connections to Oak Park. Sites to be visited include the Birthplace Museum, Boyhood home, Oak Park & River Forest High School, Oak Park Public Library, Congregational Church and WWI Memorial in Scoville Park.
Location: Oak Park
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Franklin Park Touch-a-Truck
Bring your family out to Franklin Park to touch and explore the different trucks that keep Franklin Park clean, safe and running smoothly. Children of all ages are welcome to climb on and experience these large machines from behind the wheel.
Location: Franklin Park
Back to School Shopping Gift with Purchase
Back to school shopping is more fun with a bonus! Spend $200 in a single day at North Riverside Park Mall stores and eateries, bring your receipts to customer service, and pick out a free $20 gift card.
Location: North Riverside
Thursday Night Out: Health and Wellness Night
Enjoy live music and food from local restaurants while getting to know health and wellness businesses available in Downtown Oak Park!
Location: Oak Park
Roaring Nights: Better Than Ezra and Tonic
Get ready to turn up the volume with Better Than Ezra and Tonic while supporting Brookfield Zoo Chicago's animal conservation efforts! With discount code ROCK, enjoy $20 off your tickets while supplies last. This discount ends Aug. 15.
Location: Brookfield
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Oak Park Microbrew Review
The Oak Park Microbrew Review isn’t just one of the longest-running beer festivals in Chicagoland and the largest zero-waste craft beverage festival in the Midwest — it’s a full-fledged celebration of craft beverages, incredible food, and live music, all with a purpose. Now in its 18th year, this event brings together 50+ breweries pouring not only exceptional craft beers but also ciders, seltzers, spirits, and non-alcoholic options—there’s something for every palate!
Location: Oak Park
Then and Now: Central Oak Park Sidewalk Tour
Take a walk through time exploring the historic area bordered by Lake Street, East Avenue, North Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue. You'll hear the fascinating stories behind familiar landmarks and learn about some of Oak Park’s long-lost buildings, including a central heating plant that served over 600 homes, a military academy operated by nuns and a much-loved hot dog stand.
Location: Oak Park
Village & Vessel Tarot Cohort
Learn the art of tarot with Village & Vessel in this 8-week program. Each week covers a different tarot topic. first receiving instruction and then putting it into action in readings.
Location: Oak Park
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Uncorked
Celebrate summertime with an enjoyable evening of music and drinks at the Oak Park Conservatory's Rubinstein Garden.
Location: Oak Park
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La Grange Sidewalk Sale
Enjoy unbeatable deals from local retailers as ahead of the fall season! Explore a wide array of discounts and special offers on fashion, home decor, accessories and more, all conveniently located right in La Grange!
Location: La Grange
Forest Park Garage Galleries
See Forest Park garages transformed into galleries displaying work created by 80 different artists, including painters, potters, jewelry makers, photographers and more!
Location: Forest Park
Zoo Uncorked: Wines & Vines
Sip, savor, and explore at Wines & Vines, Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s exclusive 21+ event featuring its brand new, breathtaking Bramsen Tropical Forests habitat! Animals in this spectacular new habitat will be viewable for the beginning portion of the evening; enjoy a selection of fine wines and cocktails as you explore the lush beauty and vibrant atmosphere of the rainforest.
Location: Brookfield
Ladies of Lake Street Tour
Join The Oak Park and River Forest Museum for this tour down Lake Street as Historical Society guides tell the stories of women in our community who broke down barriers in the fields of government and civic life, cultural affairs, and social services. You'll meet pioneers in fair housing and civil rights as well as a judge, a symphony conductor and the brave women on the war memorial in Scoville Park.
Location: Oak Park
Eat the Neighborhood: Foraging Walk & Lunch
Join Dave Odd, full-time professional forager to the stars, on a two-hour journey through the Oak Park neighborhood to discover over 50 species of edible and medicinal wild plants and mushrooms that grow right in our own backyards, then enjoy eating a lunch of made from foraged foods prepared by professional chefs from Carnivore in Oak Park.
Location: Oak Park
Franklin Park Chalk the Park
Get ready to unleash your creativity at Chalk the Park, an art event bringing color and fun to Franklin Park parks! Decorate sidewalks, paths and open spaces with vibrant chalk art. The artist that best captures the theme will win a prize.
Location: Franklin Park
Chalk the Park
Get ready to unleash your creativity at Chalk the Park, a new art event in Franklin Park! Decorate sidewalks, paths and open spaces with vibrant chalk art. The artist that best captures the theme will win a prize.
Location: Franklin Park
Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside Walking Tour
Explore Riverside's flowing landscape, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, America’s first and most famous landscape architect; its more than 150 years of rich architectural history, with homes by famous architects Frank Lloyd Wright, William LeBaron Jenney and Howard Van Doren Shaw; and its fascinating, sometimes notorious, residents down through the years on this walking tour!
Location: Riverside
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Taste of Melrose Park
Get ready to dance and dine at Taste of Melrose Park, an annual favorite of over 40 years! At Taste of Melrose Park, you'll enjoy excellent food from local restaurants, rocking live music, entertainment and more fun for the whole family.
Location: Melrose Park