The Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn is bringing back its Fall Fun Fest, a popular event meant to bring families out and together for a good time, after a five year hiatus.
The festival had been going on for several decades, originally dubbed Harvest Home, but was shelved in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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So for the first time since 2019, the Fall Fun Fest will return from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday to the grounds of the museum at 5100 Museum Drive, with aspects spilling over onto Museum Drive by the train station as the village has granted permission to use the space. The event is free, though visits to the museum’s interior still require an entrance fee. Information is at https://www.cmoaklawn.org/event-details/fall-fun-fest.
“We kind of got out of the habit of it,” said Adam Woodworth, the museum’s executive director, who said the festival had been a popular event going back to 2006, when he took on his role at the museum. “We just kind of felt like the timing was right to bring it back.”
Geared toward young children, the event will include music, food, vendors, a bounce house, as well as performances and possibly a demonstration by a martial arts company. Entertainment in the past has included Hook-a-Duck, where kids get to choose a floating plastic duck in a pool and if the sticker on the bottom is green, get a prize, a scavenger hunt for a free pumpkin, a free train ride, a bike raffle, face painting, crafts, as well as a performance of Irish dancing.
There will also be Fun, Fun, Fun DJs from Tinley Park and treats available from Nothing Bundt Cake in Oak Lawn.
“I just like seeing families coming out and enjoying each other,” Woodworth said. “It’s a nice little event for families who have younger children.”
Woodworth remembers years ago his daughter, now 23, was part of a dance team that performed there. His son also periodically volunteered at the event.
“It’s kind of like because we’ve had a five-year hiatus, it really is like a new event,” he said, adding it was a good opportunity for families to also check out the museum.
Jamie Makuch, who has been on the museum’s board of directors since 2014, remembers bringing her four kids when they were young.
“My oldest son won a bike one year at the fest in a raffle, which was awesome!” she said. “All three of my boys rode that yellow bike.”
She said there’s lots of reasons for the festival’s popularity.
“I love the fall fest because it is a perfect outdoor activity for kids,” said Makuch, who’s also relationship manager for Southland Development Authority. “The outdoor portion of the fest is free, which is great because you cannot find many free family events these days.
“Fall is such a great time of year and the fest is truly a great day of family fun.”
The social aspect is also a draw for parents, she explained.
“It is great running into neighbors and friends every year and watching the kids run around and have fun,” she said.
Janice Neumann is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.