SEOPCO and Takeout 25 bring a food focus to Barrie Fest

The South East Oak Park Community Organization (SEOPCO) is hosting Barrie Fest at Barrie Park, 1011 S. Lombard Ave., on Saturday, Sept. 10 from noon to 5 p.m. Takeout 25 is organizing 10 restaurants to bring a diverse array of dishes to the annual celebration featuring music and camaraderie. This will be the second year Takeout 25 has organized food sales at the annual event.

“We were surprised by the number of people who came out and purchased ticket booklets last year, but people enjoyed the food,” said Ravi Parakkat, Takeout 25 founder and a current Oak Park village trustee. “This partnership brings two unique organizations together to make a bigger impact.”

Ten vendors will be part of Barrie Fest’s food program this year with fare ranging from Mexican and Indian to Greek and Japanese. Restaurants from the Harrison Street Arts District including Taco Mucho, Mora Asian Kitchen, and the Happy Apple Pie shop will bring hyperlocal flavor to the festival. Kribi Coffee, Khyber Pass, Billy Bricks, Café Cubano, and Carnivore Oak Park will add quality fare to the mix of offerings while Candycopia and The Brown Cow will offer a sweet finish to any meal.

“There is a lot of food to discover in Oak Park and food brings people together,” said Cory Wesley, president of SEOPCO. “This is a good collaboration that takes Barrie Fest, Takeout 25 and the community forward.”

Takeout 25 has also partnered with Austin Eats, part of Austin Coming Together, as the non-profit beneficiary for their Barrie Fest collaboration; Austin Eats is an initiative aimed at addressing the food access ecosystem in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. 

While Barrie Fest is free to attend, food options will be available through the purchase of ticket booklets. Tickets are available in packs of four ($25) or nine ($50) tickets All food items will be available for one or two tickets. Advanced ticket purchases are encouraged to ensure proper planning.

Tickets available here:  www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/BarrieFest