Flossmoor will continue celebrating the village’s centennial with a new fall event, OAKtoberfest, which will have two sessions in two places on Saturday, Sept. 28.
During the day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Flossmoor Park, families will have opportunities to explore nature along a guided walk, discovering the local ecosystem’s diverse tree canopy and native flowers.
There will be interactive workshops and demonstrations by Flossmoor’s community partners, including the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, Possibility Place Nursery, Thorn Creek Audubon Society, the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District, the Westside Bee Boyz, Miami U. of Ohio Project Dragonfly, Urban Canopy, Park Forest Sustainability, MWRD and the University of Illinois Extension.
Sessions will focus on sustainable living practices, organic gardening, native plantings and more.
For children, there will be nature-themed programming and crafts, rock climbing, a bubble performer and face painting.
The Homewood Science Center will sponsor a native plant sale and activity, and the Flossmoor Public Library will offer a nature story time for youngsters.
Food options will be available from Juancho’s Tacos & Kona Ice food trucks.
In the afternoon, the festival will shirt to the south commuter parking lot at 1125 Sterling Ave. for the inaugural OAKtoberfest Music Festival, from 4-9 p.m.
DJ Lady Red from 106.3 FM will spin tunes, followed by live performances from local favorite Butterfield Creek and Chicago-based Ring of Music.
Food and beverages will be available from food trucks, including Avocado Theory, George’s Shrimp & Chicken, Kona Ice, Rainbow Cone and local vendors, such as The Bistro on Sterling, D’s Cookie Dough Co., Dunning’s Gourmet Market & Deli, and Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery.
The schedule of events
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Flossmoor Park
- Interactive environmental workshops and education.
- Children’s activities and crafts.
- Rock climbing wall.
- Native plant sale.
- Face painting.
- Food truck.
- Bubble performer (10 a.m.).
- Guided nature walk (11 a.m.).
- Nature story time (noon).
4 to 9 p.m. in the south commuter lot
- Music festival.
- Speciality food and beverage vendors.
- Bonfires.
- DJ Lady Red (4 and 6 p.m.).
- Butterfield Creek (5 p.m.).
- Ring of Music (7 p.m.).
Centennial events in Flossmoor are sponsored by Eyes on Sterling, Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery, the Law Office of Kathleen Field Orr, UChicago Medicine, Meijer, Prairie State College, Bank Financial, Bloom Township, The Center for Dental Excellence, Comcast, Flossmoor Animal Hospital, Foundation for the Preservation of Flossmoor History, Governors State University, Leland Grove Law LLC, Nicor Gas, Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan and Clerk Sugar Al-Amin, Southland Smiles and Sutton Ford.