Oak Park’s favorite outdoor meeting place was welcomed by warm weather opening weekend. Yes, Farmers Market is back in business.
The 38th season, held in the Pilgrim Church parking lot just west of Ridgeland Avenue on Lake Street, kicked off with its famous donuts, fresh produce, traditional and unusual plants, fresh cheese, honey, flowers, herbs, and more. The market also features items for sale at the commissioners’ table, including T-shirts and handmade items.
A majority of the vendors now accept credit/debit cards as well as Link cards. Last weekend’s featured vendor was Go Green, offering sustainability-focused activities. Each week brings new community groups. For more information, visit oak-park.us/farmersmarket.
Two new liquor licenses granted
Following recent approval by the village board, one current establishment and one future restaurant were granted a liquor license.
OMG! Brunch & Boutique, a soon-to-be café at South Boulevard and Oak Park Avenue, owned by resident Mary-Moy Greg, will now be able to offer brunch cocktails during normal hours of liquor sales. The brunch spot will feature healthy “breakfast around the world” in addition to retail sales of artwork and clothing provided by local artists.
The other local establishment granted a license is Café Fresh, which is located in the Fitness Formula Club. Guests can now purchase beer or wine at the café.
FEMA home inspections begin
Residents who applied for federal disaster aid following the April flood can expect a visit soon from a FEMA inspector. Homeowners, renters and business owners affected by the storms may register for assistance online at fema.gov or DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 800-621-3362. July 9 is the last day to register for assistance.
Monthly electronics recycling returns
Recycling of electronics will be offered on the last Saturday of each month. Items can be recycled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Public Works Center, 201 South Blvd.
The final recycling event of the season will be Oct. 26. Acceptable items include: computers, peripherals, laptops, monitors, TVs, cellphones, rechargeable batteries, printers, fax machines, MP3 players, portable digital assistants, video game consoles, video cassette recorders, digital video disk players, zip drives, scanners and microwaves.
These items in particular are banned from Illinois landfills. The program is sponsored by the Illinois EPA, the West Cook County Solid Waste Agency and Vintage Tech Recyclers. For more information, call 708-358-5700 or email publicworks@oak-park.us.
Scoville Park fences come down
The fences are down but the re-opening of Scoville Park will officially be celebrated Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. New amenities at the park include the Peace Plaza around the World War I “Peace Triumphant” Monument, along with a renovated playground, tennis courts and entrances. After a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, refreshments will be served and Great Scott will provide entertainment with a comedy and illusion show.
Also on Saturday at the park will be Battle of the Bands (featuring teen bands) at 1 p.m. on Saturday. This event is sponsored by the Park District of Oak Park and the Oak Park Public Library.
