Movie Theaters in Oak Park: Past and Present
Join the Oak Park River Forest History Museum for a presentation by Timothy Sedlacek, board member of the Oak Park Illinois Film Festival, as he discusses the history of movie theaters, past and present, in Oak Park.
Location: Oak Park
Oak Park Plein Air Festival
The entire village of Oak Park is turning into an open-air art studio for the first-ever Oak Park Plein Air Festival! Watch as artists paint landmarks, local businesses and favorite Oak Park spots. Judges will vote on finished pieces, awarding their favorites with cash prizes, at the festival's closing reception and art sale Sept. 7.
Location: Oak Park
Oak Park First Fridays: Southtown
First Fridays is a monthly Oak Park 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
North Riverside Park Mall Touch-a-Truck
North Riverside Park Mall presents Touch-a-Truck, a free community event featuring a variety of vehicles from businesses and services for kids to interact with and learn about. There will also be a DJ, games and bubble machines!
Location: North Riverside
"Art Deco in Central Oak Park" Walking Tour
Join OPRF Museum guides on a walk down Lake Street as they point out many beautiful Art Deco designs that are often overlooked!
Location: Oak Park
West End Arts Festival
Immerse yourself in art at West End Arts Festival! This free, juried art festival is fun for all, with 60 participating artists, live music, kids activities and more!
Location: La Grange
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Brookfield Fine Arts Festival
The Brookfield Fine Arts Festival returns to beautiful Kiwanis Park in 2025! Festival goers will enjoy a juried art fair, live music and a variety of creative, engaging activities for grownups, kids and kids-at-heart.
Location: Brookfield
Brookfield Zoo Chicago: First Responders Day
Join Brookfield Zoo Chicago in celebrating and showing appreciation for firefighters, EMS workers, police officers, and other first responders. Meet with representatives from approximately 30 agencies from Chicago and its surrounding suburbs, who will be on hand to showcase the vehicles and equipment they use to keep their communities safe.
Location: Brookfield
Oak Park Film Festival
Celebrate film at the Oak Park Film Festival, featuring a special screening of "Moonstruck" starring the late but great Oak Parker John Mahoney. Enjoy panel discussions and screenings of films with an Oak Park connection throughout the festival.
Location: Oak Park
Imperial Oak Oktoberfest
Imperial Oak is bringing back the oompah! Celebrate Oak-toberfest under the big top in Brookfield with lots of music, food, special beer, ’25 event steins and a cornhole bags tournament to kick it off! Mark your calendar now!
Location: Brookfield
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
Faire at the Square
Enjoy the Forest Preserves of Cook County's Faire at the Square, a creative-reuse carnival with games made from repurposed materials! Win prizes, learn about local plants and animals and more.
Location: River Forest
Brookfield Zoo Chicago: Frontera Farm-to-Table Dinner
Celebrate the flavors of our region at this truly unique culinary experience! This year, we're thrilled to welcome you for an unforgettable evening with Chef Bayless and the Frontera Team, as well as local celebrity chefs.
Location: Brookfield
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Linnea Jewelers Customer Appreciation Event
Enjoy 30% off selected items at Linnea Jewelers, celebrating its 30th anniversary! Everyone is invited to pop a balloon on the arch for a chance to win discounts, free jewelry, free rhodium plating or a gift with purchase.
Location: La Grange
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True Crime: Gangster Tour
Visit 13 homes owned by major Chicago gangsters, including Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Sam Giancana, “Tough Tony” Capezio and “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn led by gangster historian John Binder.
Location: Oak Park, River Forest
Reading the Landscape
Join naturalist John Elliott and Oak Park River Forest Museum for a fascinating talk on local landscapes and how it impacts the future of our communities.
Location: Oak Park
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La Grange Park Chili Cook Off
Get into the fall spirit with an evening spent tasting delicious chilis made by local chefs with beer and other refreshments available for purchase!
Location: La Grange Park
Riverside Touch-a-Truck
Location: Riverside
Fridays at Hemingway's: Storytelling
Join Chicago-area storytellers for an evening of “Dear John” tales in the front parlor room of Hemingway’s birthplace home. Refreshments will be available!
Location: Oak Park
Fashionista Book Bash & Fashion Show
Head to Brookfield Shops at Progress Park for the fashionista book bash and fashion show, a free party that marries fashion and literature! All attendees get 10% of all purchases from New Book Joy and discounts at the Shop Style House, plus surprises too!
Location: Brookfield
Zoo After Dark: Animal Adoption Adventure
Enjoy an evening of family fun featuring live music, zoo chats, food and merchandise discounts, and discover the magic of animal behavior of your favorite creatures from under the stars. Don't miss this wild adventure — adopt, explore and make memories under the moonlight!
Location: Brookfield
"Street of Dreams" Sidewalk Tour
Take a stroll through River Forest history. Learn about the oldest commercial building, the architect of the Methodist Church, the “power couple” who helped bring the Columbian Exposition to Chicago and much more as on this sidewalk tour down the stretch of Keystone Avenue known as “The Street of Dreams.”
Location: River Forest
Reuse-a-palooza!
Help the planet and enjoy a weekend of fun garage sale shopping with Reuse-a-palooza in Westchester!
Location: Westchester
Archaeology of Cook County: From the Ice Age to the Atomic Age
Join OPRF Museum and Oak Parker Tom Loebel, Ph.D., on a journey back in time! Loebel will speak about uncovering traces of the earliest Native peoples who lived in Illinois, using evidence found in the Cook County Forest Preserves.
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
Oaktoberfest
Celebrate the changing seasons at Oaktoberfest in Downtown Oak Park. Enjoy an exciting live music line up, delicious foods from local restaurants, specialty craft beers, live music and a kids root beer garden!
Location: Oak Park
Brookfield Duck Race
Watch a stampede of yellow rubber ducks race down the Des Plaines River at Brookfield's Duck Race! Buy a few ducks to see if you'll be the lucky duck to win the raise and its cash prize!
Location: Brookfield
Hopstop
Sample over 50 offerings from local brewers, cideries and cocktail crafters, including Riverside’s own Quincy Street Distillery. Enjoy local food vendors, art activities for children (under 12 are admitted free with ticket) and live music to round out a wonderful outdoor family friendly setting in the arboretum Village of Riverside.
Location: Riverside
Party for the Preserves: Salsa Dance
Celebrate National Public Lands Day with a Salsa Dance Party, courtesy of r. Enjoy live music, dance lessons, food and more. Programa ofrecido en Espanol y English.
Location: River Forest
Brookfield Zoo Chicago Hispanic Heritage Month Festival
Hispanic Heritage Fest returns to Brookfield Zoo Chicago, where guests are invited to delight in live music by Trabuco Salsa Band, delectable cuisine, cultural performances and more! This event is included with Zoo admission and features programming throughout the Zoo.
Location: Brookfield
True Crime: Gangster Tour
Visit 13 homes owned by major Chicago gangsters, including Tony Accardo, Paul Ricca, Sam Giancana, “Tough Tony” Capezio and “Machine Gun” Jack McGurn led by gangster historian John Binder.
Location: Oak Park, River Forest
Brookfield Zoo Oktoberfest
Prost! to Oktoberfest at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. This German-style event, which takes place on the Zoo’s Carousel Plaza, is free with general admission. Enjoy family-friendly fun with music, dancing, games and more!
Location: Brookfield