Last weekend was one of those times where I didn’t have a minute to myself. I met the girlfriend’s Mom for the first time; that’s always great and never anxiety-inducing, right? I celebrated my niece’s first birthday party. I went to dinner with AOP Co-Owner Elliott for his birthday. I did a breakfast with my family. And finally, I participated in the March of Dimes Walk.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s always nice to have things to do and spend time with people who mean the most to you. But sometimes it’s necessary to have a “breather” kind of a weekend, so that’s what I am aiming to do over the next 48 hours. I’m ignoring my phone, taking a Saturday morning stroll to get coffee, and no one’s going to bother me.
However, once I get bored (might be about 10 a.m. Saturday morning) I’ll be ready for something to do or to be social again. Luckily, part of my job here is to research things to do and put them in an article every Friday. Here’s a glimpse at what I found.
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Beer n’ Empanada Party
BeerShop is turning three-years-old this weekend so naturally, they are throwing a party on Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. that will have a bevy of empanadas and craft beer. The local gem has always been pet-friendly but has been forced to only allow service dogs for the time being. However, dog-owners made their case known this week and have started making progress towards becoming 100% pet-friendly once again. BeerShop is located at 1026 North Avenue, Oak Park.
33rd Annual Kitchen Walk
If you want some inspiration on how to make changes to your kitchen, we’ve got an event for you. The 33rd Annual Kitchen walk is taking place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., providing the opportunity to peruse 10 newly remodeled kitchens done by professional designers and architects. Food will be provided at several stops on the tour by local restaurateurs and Addison Osta-Smith, winner of MasterChef Junior’s fourth season. Tickets are available to purchase for $45 at the will-call location at 405 S. Euclid Avenue, Oak Park, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
4th Annual Community Health & Wellness Fair
The Oak Park Chamber of Commerce is teaming up with Rush Hospital Sunday for the 4th Annual Community Health and Wellness Fair at the West Cook YMCA, 255 S. Marion Street, Oak Park. Enjoy fitness classes, health screenings, healthy snacks, and bring the kids because there will be organized activities for the little ones. This event is free and open to the public. No time has been specified for the start of the event but the first fitness class begins at 11 a.m.
Space Day at Wonder Works
From the Wonder Works Facebook event: Wonder Works is celebrating Space Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will have a chance to launch stomp rockets, make craters, explore magnetic fields, watch water flow down miniature mountains, make space-related crafts, and much more. Space Day is part of the nationwide Explore Science: Earth & Space program, which is designed to engage audiences in the awe-inspiring fields of Earth and space science. Wonder Works Children’s Museum is located at 6445 W. North Avenue, Oak Park.
Independent Bookstore Day
Magic Tree Bookstore, 141 N. Oak Park Avenue, is hosting an event to celebrate independently owned bookstores on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Magic Tree has a wide selection of books covering all genres for all ages. As the weather is finally starting to come around, it’s a great time to think about bringing more laughter into your life. That is why the local store’s most recent Instagram post featured several books they have to offer in the humor category.
If you are a locally owned business or have events planned that you would like to be included in articles like this in the future, please email your event info to aroundoakpark@gmail.com so we can get the word out!
