The Pleasant Home Foundation has led annual Oak Park house tours for years, highlighting different architectural characteristics such as Prairie Style or bungalows. But in a village glutted with house tours, the organization decided to move their event to every other year and run a different fundraiser on the off years. On Nov. 18 they’re welcoming fans of craft beer and historic buildings to visit the Pleasant Home for the Arts & Crafts Beer Parlour, which they hope to make into a biannual event.
“So many new breweries were coming into town and we wanted to feature them,” said Heidi Ruehle-May, Pleasant Home Foundation executive director. “It’s just a different way to experience the house and taste beer in a really unique space.”
Oak Park Brewing Company, Kinslahger Brewing Company and Exit Strategy Brewing Co. are all donating two or three beers to the event and providing information on the brews for curious drinkers. The Oak Park breweries both opened this spring, while Forest Park’s Exit Strategy launched in 2014.
“We’re really excited about this,” Ruehle-May said. “There’s such a great energy going around in Oak Park and the surrounding area about these microbreweries. We’re jumping on the bandwagon, but we’re excited to support these breweries and they’re excited to support us as well.”
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The microbrewery trend is relatively new to Oak Park, which was dry from Prohibition through the ’80s, when Poor Phil’s Bar & Grill opened. To pay tribute to that history, Arts & Crafts Beer Parlour guests will be entering Pleasant House from a side door as if they were illicitly visiting a speakeasy. Pianist and composer Thomas Holmes, who also provides the soundtrack for Pleasant Home’s Silent Movies on the Porch, will be playing jazzy ’20s tunes throughout the evening.
“Knowing Thomas, he’ll probably have some sort of costume in play too,” Ruehle-May said.
Visitors will be able to tour the home with a beer in hand, starting with the great hall, which is lit by Victorian reproduction light bulbs and features carved wood and stained glass window.
“It sets the tone for the rest of the home of opulence and quality, but it’s still a very welcoming home,” Ruehle-May said. “We’ll be using almost all of the rooms in the house. Each brewery will have a large space where they can set up their various brews. The guests will be able to experience the entire first floor of the house.”
Tickets are $35, though if you pay $25 to become a Pleasant Home member you’ll receive a $5 discount and other deals throughout the year.
“We intentionally keep the ticket prices for our cultural events and fundraisers low so that the community can enjoy them,” Ruehle-May said. “We’re really trying to become a center of the community, so the more people that become involved the better.”
The event will fund Pleasant Home’s programs and tours. The Foundation is also starting a separate fundraising campaign next year in memory of former board member John Thorpe. They’ll be reaching out to try to gather $50,000 to restore the front of the house, which will involve reinstalling a set of stained glass windows that are currently stored in the building’s attic.
“It’s something people can see and touch and understand,” Ruehle-May said. “Nobody in this lifetime has seen the house with these windows in place.”
Arts & Crafts Beer Parlour
When: 6-7:30 p.m. or 8-9:30 p.m. Nov. 18
Where: Pleasant Home, 217 Home Ave., Oak Park
Admission: $35
Information: 708-383-2654; pleasanthome.org