WILDFLOWER WALK

Stretch your legs and your mind with a wildflower walk through Riverside led by ecologist Shawn Sinn. Attendees should plan to meet at 10 a.m., May 4, outside Scout Cabin, which also serves as the ending point of the two-hour walk. For the best experience, download the iNaturalist app on your smartphone and join the “Riverside Wildflower Walk May 4, 2024.” The walk is co-hosted by the Cross-Community Climate Collaborative and the Riverside Landscape Advisory Commission

CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION

Kick off the fun this month with a Cinco de Mayo celebration May 5 at North Riverside Park Mall in the food court. Enjoy live music from mariachi singer Luis Alfredo and folk dancing performed by La Academia, a Mexican dance academy. Artists Miriam Salgado and Alejandro Camacho will also lead a demonstration in traditional Mexican toymaking.

HISTORIC HOMES TOUR

Ever wish you could explore beautiful historic homes? Then grab some tickets for the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest’s annual spring house walk on May 5. Five private homes in southwest River Forest, all built between 1890 and 1910, are being opened to the public for interior tours. Learn more about the architectural styles of the past and how people lived then. The houses are also all within walking distance of each other, making for a lovely and convenient stroll. Get your tickets here for the “Tales Our Houses Tell” tour.

HISTORIC HOMES TOUR

Canadian Pacific Kansas City's (CPKC) historic Final Spike Anniversary Tour will stop in Franklin Park on Wednesday, May 8 from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. This will be the last opportunity to view "The Empress", the restored 1930 Steam Locomotive as it makes its final run through North America. The public will be able to view the exterior of the train and learn more about the locomotive and its history. Visitors will not be allowed to board the train. 

Bring the family and enjoy a fun-filled celebration of our country’s railroad heritage including the "Museum on Wheels". Children can also ride the Puffer Belly Express mini train and participate in crafting projects. There will also be vendors and displays.

BEATLE MANIA

Listen to the sweet music of Liverpool’s most famous sons while supporting Dominican University’s scholarship fund May 9 in River Forest. “Yesterday and Today: The Interactive Beatles Experience” is an innovative show that tells an audience-driven story using the music of the Beatles. Songs are chosen by the audience, driving the show’s narrative, and performed by brothers Billy, Matthew and Ryan McGuigan, making for a truly unique experience. Tickets are available for purchase here.

GET WILD IN RIVERSIDE

The Village of Riverside invites you to celebrate our feathered friends May 11 with a whole day of planned activities, including a guided birdwatching walk along the river corridor. 

The Riverside Landscape Advisory Commission will also giving away free native plants from 9:30 a.m. until noon at Centennial Park.

MOTHER'S DAY

Mother’s Day is just around the corner and if you’re still in need of the perfect gift for mom, the Oak Park Conservatory is selling beautiful teacup garden kits, complete with potting soil, a miniature plant and a teacup. The kit also comes with biscuits and an individual tea pouch. Order yours here then swing by the conservatory between May 7 and 12 for pick up. Your mom will love it.

MURDER MYSTERY PARTY

Dust off your glad rags, the LaGrange Area Historical Society is hosting two roaring ‘20s murder mystery parties this month that are sure to be the cat’s meow. Over cocktails and heavy hors d’oeurves, partygoers will put their investigative skills to the test to identify the culprit behind three murders. You know you’re dying to attend! Spots are filling up quickly, so grab your tickets here for the May 17 party and here for the one on May 18.

MURDER MYSTERY PARTY

Dust off your glad rags, the LaGrange Area Historical Society is hosting two roaring ‘20s murder mystery parties this month that are sure to be the cat’s meow. Over cocktails and heavy hors d’oeurves, partygoers will put their investigative skills to the test to identify the culprit behind three murders. You know you’re dying to attend! Spots are filling up quickly, so grab your tickets here for the May 17 party and here for the one on May 18.

STREET FESTIVAL

The Oak Park Arts District’s annual “What’s Bloomin’ on Harrison Street?” festival returns May 18. The free event has live music, food and drinks, as well as an art fair and a children’s carnival, plus an afterparty! Click here for more details.

FRIDAYS AT HEMINGWAY'S

The Ernest Hemingway Foundation of Oak Park’s concert series returns this month, beginning May 19 with a performance from guitarist Stephane Wrembel inside the childhood home of the Nobel Prize winning author. Wrembel has his own connection to Hemingway, having written a song used in the 2011 Oscar winner “Midnight in Paris,” a film about an aspiring novelist who goes back in time to meet his literary heroes, chief among them a fictionalized version of Hemingway. Learn more about Wrembel and the upcoming concert here.

FINE ART EXHIBIT

A new exhibit featuring the paintings of artist Kwamé Azure Gomez opens May 24 at the Riverside Art Center’s Freeark Gallery. Immerse yourself in the collection of works on display, guest curated by Chris D. Reeder. The exhibit, called “Social Chromatism,” is available for viewing until June 22.

WALKING TOUR

Enjoy the warmer weather with a walking tour of Riverside, the entire village of which is a designated National Historic Landmark, on May 26. The village was designed to be a rural retreat from the city of Chicago by Calvert Vaux and Fredrick Law Olmsted, the country’s most famous landscape architect whose other designs include New York City’s Central Park. Learn more about Riverside and Olmsted during the two-hour walking tour led by members of the Fredrick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside. Snag your tickets here.