Suburban Cook County voters can cast an early ballot for the Nov. 3, 2026 Gubernatorial Primary Election from Oct. 19 through Nov. 2 at Village Hall. Early voting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays. Grace-period registration is also available during early voting hours for those individuals who missed the registration deadline. Valid identification is required to register during the grace period, and a vote must be cast immediately after registration. More information is at www.oak-park.us/earlyvoting.

The Village’s Plan Commission held the second session of a public hearing Thursday in the auditorium at Oak Park and River Forest High School as it considers proposed changes to Oak Park’s zoning code. The hearing lasted 3.5 hours and as expected, the Plan Commission continued the hearing again to Thursday, Nov. 12. Public comments began Thursday and will continue in November during the third session of the hearing, which is slated to take place in Council Chambers at Village Hall. Outlined as part of the Shape Oak Park initiative, these proposed amendments are intended to address and incentivize missing middle housing types. Find more information about the hearing and answers to frequently asked questions at www.oak-park.us/PChearing.

The new Ad Hoc Housing Task Force was created to make unified recommendations to the Village Board on several key next steps to the Shape Oak Park recommendations. The group includes members of the Plan Commission, Housing Programs Advisory Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, Aging in Communities Commission, members with experience in real estate and economic development and ex officio members of the Village Board. The first meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 19 in Council Chambers at Village Hall. Click here for more information.

The Office of Economic Vitality attended the Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Spotlight Awards on Tuesday. The event highlighted local businesses nominated for recognition by the Chamber’s business community. Local finalists included EcoWilde, Oak Park Red Dragon and Peace & Joy Within Yoga for the New & Notable Award; Maya del Sol, Rustico, Khyber Pass and Café Cubano for the Excellent Eats Award; the OPRF Infant Welfare Society and Fitness Formula Clubs of Oak Park for the Health & Wellness Award; Oak Leyden, Styles 4 Kidz NFP, Sarah’s Inn and the Collaboration for Early Childhood for the Non-Profit of the Year Award; and Sugar Fix Patisserie, Whirlwind Coffee, Oak Park Festival Theatre and Comedy Plex for the OPRF Choice Award. Three Oak Park businesses or nonprofits won their categories: Café Cubano, Whirlwind Coffee and the Collaboration for Early Childhood. Former Village President Cliff Osborn was also recognized as the Chamber Ambassador of the Year for his commitment to service in the community. Nicole Nodi (pictured center) of the Village’s Office of Economic Vitality was also nominated by the business community for the Ambassador of the Year Award.

Get ready for Fall Family Fun in Oak Park this weekend! Families with young children are invited to participate in a costume parade around Scoville Park led by Village President Vicki Scaman starting at 10 a.m. this Saturday, Oct. 17. Line-up for the costume parade begins at 9:30 a.m. near the entrance of the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. Following the costume parade, head on into the Oak Park Public Library to explore the Early Childhood Resource Fair (first floor) and the Early Learning Program Meet & Greet (upstairs in the Veterans Room) from 10 a.m. to noon. Businesses across the Hemingway Business District will also be giving out complimentary treats from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – click here for complete details.

Street closures and parking restrictions will be in effect from about 7:30 to 11 a.m. this Sunday, Oct. 18 as the Park District of Oak Park hosts the 50th annual Frank Lloyd Wright Races. Several streets will be closed, and traffic flow on others restricted to one way on the day of the race. To help keep runners safe and avoid delays, please park outside the racecourse if you anticipate needing to leave during the event. Vehicles will not be permitted to cross Chicago Avenue between Forest Avenue and Fair Oaks Avenue during the event. Click here to view the racecourse map and locations where Oak Park Police Officers will be stationed to direct traffic off the course.

Join Police Chief Shatonya Johnson for Coffee with the Chief from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Whirlwind Coffee, 513 Madison St. The gathering offers an opportunity for community members to connect, ask questions, share input and get to know the Oak Park Police Department beyond the badge.

The Village's next E.C.H.O. Exchange is taking place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 23 at Blackberry Market, 905 S. Lombard Ave. Community members are invited to stop by, enjoy a cup of coffee, ask questions, discuss community concerns and learn about how the E.C.H.O. program works with public safety personnel to help connect community members in need with services in Oak Park. More information is at www.oak-park.us//OctoberECHOexchange.

The Village’s ¡Viva! Festival returned last Saturday. The celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month featured food, live entertainment, vendors, face painters, activities for kids and more. The annual ¡VIVA! Festival is coordinated by the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Office with support from a committee of community volunteers. Organizers are now looking ahead to Oak Park’s Dia de los Muertos celebration, which will take place on Sunday, Nov. 1 in Scoville Park.

The Village Clerk’s Office and Civic Involvement Commission hosted a special event on Wednesday evening to celebrate the dedicated service of Oak Park’s advisory board, commission and committee members. Held at Albion Oak Park, the celebration was an expression of gratitude for the leadership, time and commitment to civic engagement given by so many community members.

Join the Oak Park Area Arts Council and the Village's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office for an opening reception for Alma Dominguez's art exhibition on display from October through December at Village Hall. The reception takes place from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21 at Village Hall.

Member of the Village's Office of Sustainability and Resilience will take part in the Oak Park Public Library's Local Government 101 event at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at the Main Library, 834 Lake St. The team will discuss its current initiatives and how residents can get involved. A representative from Public Works will also be on hand to share information about residential composting.

The Fire Department held a swearing-in ceremony for new Firefighter/Paramedic Nova Sinskul on Friday at Village Hall. Nova now begins her one-year probationary period. New Deputy Village Clerk Javon Brown was also officially sworn in to her role Friday. Elsewhere, the Neighborhood Services Department recently welcomed Daniel Gibbs as the newest Property Maintenance/Community Development Inspector.

The Oak Park Public Health Department is marking Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October by sharing information to promote early detection and prevention of the disease. Oak Park and other Chicagoland residents who are uninsured or underinsured looking for free breast health screenings can contact Equal Hope, a not-for-profit that assists with navigating breast health screening and follow up care. A request form is available online or by calling 312.942.3369. Additionally, members of the Oak Park Police Department are showing support for survivors and those currently facing the disease by wearing special pink uniform patches and pins throughout the month. Click here for more information about breast cancer awareness and prevention.

A limited number of appointments are still available for the Village’s electronic waste recycling drop-off event this Saturday, Oct. 17 at the Public Works Center. Due to strict regulations on collecting and processing these materials, residents are required to register for a time slot between 9 a.m. and noon and identify their electronic waste items in advance at www.oak-park.us/ewaste26. There is a limit of seven items per household, and within that there is a limit of two televisions and/or computer monitors. The recycling drop-off event is for Oak Park residents only and is particularly intended for residents in large multifamily buildings. Residents in single-family homes and buildings with up to five units served by the Village’s waste hauling contract can also schedule an E-Waste Pickup from their home by filling out the LRS e-waste collection form.

The City of Chicago is moving forward with a Chicago-funded resurfacing project for the full width of Austin Boulevard from Roosevelt Road to I-290 this fall to address concerns from its constituents. Work is planned to start on the Chicago side of Austin next week with curb and sidewalk removal at sidewalk corner ramp locations and then proceed to the Village’s side of Austin for curb patching and corner sidewalk improvements in late October or early November. Chicago’s contractor will then be milling, patching and resurfacing the roadway. Village staff is working with Chicago to get more precise scheduling information, but the project is anticipated to be completed in late November. The Engineering Division is working on getting notification letters sent to residents on the Village’s side of Austin about this last-minute project as well as providing alternate parking accommodations for impacted permit holders in Zone 1 along Austin. 

Pavement preservation project – The contractor poured concrete at the intersections of Austin Boulevard and Augusta Street and Austin and North Avenue. The traffic control setup on Austin is planned be removed later this week after the concrete has properly cured. The crack sealing subcontractor completed work early this week at various locations throughout the Village. Rejuvenator and micro surfacing are scheduled to begin early next week, weather permitting.

Renew the Avenue project – The Village extended approval to its contractor for nighttime work on Oak Park Avenue between South Boulevard and North Boulevard under the railroad viaduct next week. Nighttime work will begin at 8 p.m. and conclude by 7 a.m. This nighttime work is necessary to allow the contractor to safely sandblast the steel structure of the viaduct. Sandblasting is the process of using an air compressor to strip away the existing paint. To do this safely, the contractor must set up a tarp around the viaduct area to control dust, debris and/or lead particles from escaping the closed containment area. Residents will experience noise and the presence of construction vehicles and equipment within and around the road closure area. Other Renew the Avenue project updates include:

• The concrete crew will complete the main sidewalk and roadway base course sections from South Boulevard under the bridge and up to North Boulevard this week. They will be back next week to frame for the new curb on the north block of Oak Park Avenue.
• Electrical crews are focusing on the north block of Oak Park Avenue to continue conduit installation for the new street lighting and traffic signals into next week. The roadway grading crew will follow behind the electricians next week preparing for the new curb and sidewalks on the north block. 
• Brick paver installation continues on the south block with crews wrapping up the roadway bricks north of the Pleasant Street intersection. Both crews will move to brick installation in the Pleasant Street intersection next week. The intersection will be closed to vehicle traffic starting Monday, Oct. 19 and should reopen by Friday, Oct. 23. Local detours will be installed during this work allowing local access to the area via Euclid Avenue, Randolph Street and Kenilworth Avenue.

Water and sewer project – Asphalt was placed on the 1000-1100 blocks of Scoville Ave., and the project landscaper expects to begin restoring parkway areas with topsoil soon. Following the landscaping work, the contractor will place the final layer of asphalt, followed by the installation of pavement markings. At the project’s other site, the contractor continued roadway pavement removal, curb removal and placement of geofabric and stone roadway base this week on the 1100-1200 block of N. Euclid Ave. This work is expected to be completed by this Saturday. Next week, crews will continue sidewalk removal and replacement of sidewalk and curb.

Resurfacing project – The sewer crew will continue its progress on repairs at Clinton Avenue south of Lexington Street followed by the intersection of Iowa Street and East Avenue. All concrete work is expected to be completed by next week. Milling and paving will continue across the project’s 16 sites. Landscaping and pavement markings are also expected to begin next week across the project’s sites.

Sidewalk project – The sidewalk contractor continues to progress on completing angle cuts for this year’s sidewalk repair project, with work focused in the southeast quadrant of the Village. The contractor plans to work the next two Saturdays of October to help move the project along.

Bike boulevards project – The contractor anticipates completing most of the pavement markings for the bike bump-outs by the end of this week. Next week, the contractor plans to begin signage installation, followed by delineator installation.

A mural project along North Avenue is officially complete with the recent installation of the final mural at 7019 North Ave. The project involved a partnership with the Oak Park Area Arts Council and the North Avenue Business Association. Make sure to drive over and enjoy the public art that celebrates community, culture and connection.

With more than 40 restaurants participating in outdoor dining, there is certainly no shortage of beautiful places in Oak Park to enjoy a delicious meal on beautiful fall days. Whether you’re in search of something sweet to eat, a quick bite for lunch, a place to get a cup of coffee with friends or somewhere to have dinner with the family, customers will find outdoor dining options here in the Village. Check out a directory of Oak Park businesses at www.pickoakpark.com/directory.

The most adorably fun street festival in town is back. Animal Care League's annual Mutt Strut is from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 1009 Garfield St. The event is intended to bring animal lovers together to support homeless animals. Even those who don't participate in the walk portion can enjoy the free street festival outside the shelter, packed with activities, contests, a kids' zone, local vendors and more. Learn how you can participate and support this year's Mutt Strut at www.animalcareleague.org/muttstrut.

The Funny is Female Comedy Festival returns to Comedy Plex from Oct. 22-25. This four-day event brings more than 50 female comics from around the country to Downtown Oak Park and was recently featured in the Chicago Tribune. Tickets are available online at www.comedyplex.com.

ArtPower Press is now open at 133 N. Ridgeland Ave. This new business is dedicated to supporting artists beyond simply providing a platform to share their work. Through its fellowship program, the organization offers mentorship, skill development and financial resources to help artists grow and make a meaningful impact. Check out a list of new Oak Park businesses at www.pickoakpark.com/newbusiness.