Tinley Park welcomed back the annual Tinley Block Party in a slightly new form this year, expanding the festival along Oak Park Avenue to two days instead of one for the first time.
The event kicked off Saturday in the Oak Park Avenue Metra parking lot and Zabrocki Plaza with performances on two stages, carnival rides for kids and food and beverages from 11 businesses. The two-day extension was made possible by realigning the footprint of the event to allow for fewer road closures and focusing activities more in the parking areas.
“It takes a lot of time to set everything up, so for just one day it’s a lot of work for not a lot of payoff for the vendors,” said village events specialist Amanda Gaus. “The goal is to support our businesses and we feel this change will really help them overall.”
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Durbin’s, J.W. Holstein’s Saloon, The Primal Cut, Teehan’s Tavern, and Village Pizza all offered samples of their menus for visitors, and other businesses hosted informational booths with games and treats for passing families.
“We’ve been here before, but I like the way it’s set up this time,” said Barb Nolan, who attended with her husband, John, and their daughter and granddaughter. “There’s more room to spread out and walk around. Plus, all the vendors are good and the activities for the kids are really nice.”
Children had their choice of activities including carnival rides, a jumbo rug slide, a kids’ dance area and two inflatable bounce areas.
“I heard $1 tickets for rides and I thought ‘great, give me 40!'” said Shannon Valent, a New Lenox resident attending with her children and their family friends. “My kids wrestle with the Tinley Park Bulldogs, so we decided to check it out. It’s really great.”
Over the course of the two days, dueling stages at the west and east ends of the event hosted 10 live bands covering a range of musical genres.
“Right now, it’s a little loud for our granddaughter, so we’re trying to keep her in the middle where it’s a little quieter,” said Nolan. “But I think we’re going to come back tomorrow with some friends to watch more of the bands.”
Sunday included a bean bag tournament and a meet and greet with NFL star Miles Boykin. The wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles grew up in Tinley Park and played football with the Tinley Park Bulldogs and Providence Catholic High School. Following a presentation of the key to the city to Boykin from Mayor Michael Glotz, the first 100 guests were given free autographed photos of the hometown hero.
Gaus said this was a test year for the two-day format, but said official hoped it would increase turnout over the previous average of about 15,000 people.
Security was notable in light of the shooting at the Highland Park Fourth of July parade, though individual police officers were not permitted to comment on their efforts. Before the event, Glotz sent out a message assuring attendees security was a priority and encouraged residents to be vigilant of their surroundings.
“Events are critical to our community,” Glotz wrote. “They not only give us places to relax and have fun but also give us chances to connect with each other. After all, a united community is a safer community, and I think that’s something we can all get behind.”
Jessie Molloy is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.