Downtown Oak Park Winterfest is this weekend

The fifth annual Downtown Oak Park Winterfest, which features an elaborate Cookie Walk, will season the streets of Oak Park this Saturday, Dec. 1 from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

The $10 participation fee gives guests a souvenir cookie tin and a map of 52 participating shops and restaurants, which will be handing out cookies at each stop. Guests will also have the chance to see St. Nicholas at a tent on Marion Street, just south of Lake Street. The tent will be equipped with free hot chocolate and cookies.

"It has kind of morphed into what it is," said Shannon Williams, DTOP marketing director. "It's really about the Cookie Walk."

The fest will also have live entertainment with the OPRF show choir, the Scandinavian Fiddlers, a magician, a violinist, a youth choir and various storytellers around the area.

"It's really a fun day to come out," said Williams, who suggested coming early because DTOP only has 500 tins available and last year the event sold out. "It's a great way to expose people who've never been down here to businesses." 

DTOP's next event will be the Home for the Holidays festival, held on Saturday, Dec. 15 in the same area. That event will feature horse-drawn sleigh rides, Santa Claus and carolers.