It looks like March is the month when we will shake off the winter freeze and start the outdoor event season in Tinley Park.
It’s been a long, cold winter (aren’t they all?) and I for one am ready to get outside and have some fun.
It’s hard to find an event more festive than the Downtown Tinley Irish Parade. This will be the 16th year for Tinley’s biggest parade and it will step off at 2 p.m. March 8 from Central Middle School, 18146 S. Oak Park Ave.
The parade heads north into the downtown area and will feature dozens of floats, community groups, schools and businesses.
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If you haven’t attended before, trust me: It is one huge celebration of everything Irish. This is a family-friendly event, and there will be no alcohol permitted along the parade route. Visit http://www.tinleypark.org for information on all of the upcoming village events.
Before the parade, you can indulge in all types of Irish treats at the Vogt Visual Arts Center’s annual Irish Tea. From noon to 2 p.m., you can enjoy an assortment of Irish teas, scones, cheeses, soda bread, cookies and more while taking in the March photography exhibit.
The gallery is right along the parade route, and stopping in has become an annual pre-parade tradition for residents and visitors alike. The event is free.
The Vogt Visual Arts Center is at 17420 S.67th Court. For more information, you can call the Tinley Park Park District at (708) 342-4200.
(Editor’s note: Julie Dekker is the center’s gallery director.)
If an early morning run is more your style, the Tinley Park Park District will kick off March 8 with its annual Running O’ The Green 8K. This all-ages run starts at 8 a.m. at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center, 8125 W. 171st St. You can still register at 7 a.m. on race day. For more information, visit http://www.tinleyparkdistrict.org or call (708) 342-4200.
Also at the Tony Bettenhausen Recreation Center, the Park District will hold its annual Spring Arts And Crafts Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 14. You’ll find a large assortment of unique handcrafted creations from local and regional crafters. Admission is free.
If you have kids, there is one more outdoor event you don’t want to miss: the annual Downtown Tinley Park Bunny Hop from noon to 3 p.m. March 29. This year’s Bunny Hop will be at the Oak Park Avenue Metra train station. The afternoon will include crafts and games for the kids, a disc jockey providing entertainment, and of course the Easter Bunny will be inside the train station to visit with the kids. Be sure to bring your camera for pictures.
The Tinley Park Historical Society, just south of the train station at 6727 W. 174th St., also will be a part of the Bunny Hop. Be sure to stop in for an Easter treat. They will also have crafts for the kids and the whole family can enjoy donning vintage bonnets and hats for an old-fashioned photo. There will also be some adoptable animals from PAWS of Tinley Park to visit with.
This event is free and sounds like the perfect way to celebrate spring Tinley Park-style.
Julie Dekker is a freelance columnist.