Oak Forest to Paint Cicero Avenue Green for Fleadh

Get out your green a week early, folks. The Irish fun kicks off with the Oak Forest Fleadh this Saturday, March 7.

The Oak Forest-Crestwood Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of Oak Forest will host the 6th annual festival—pronounced “flah”—on Saturday, March 7 on Cicero Avenue between 151st and 159th streets. The Fleadh (Gaelic for “festival”) includes the CNB Oak Forest Fleadh 5K, an open streets event, a family parade, and a pub and restaurant open house.

The city will close Cicero Avenue from 151st to 159th streets at 8 a.m. to prepare for the CNB Oak Forest Fleadh 5K at 8:30 a.m. The race starts and finishes at 159th and Cicero Avenue and takes runners through the city’s 3rd Ward. More than 400 runners are expected to run the 3.1 mile course. Following the race, participants will enjoy refreshments and sponsor services in the Arbor Park commuter lot at 159th Street and Oak Avenue (across from the Metra train station). The awards ceremony for all age categories will begin promptly at 9:30 a.m. To register for the race, visit www.oak-forest.org.

After the 5K, children and adults can bike, blade, and play a car-free Cicero Avenue until 10:45 a.m. The Bus of Fun will be parked around 152nd and Cicero Avenue for kids of all ages to enjoy games and entertainment aboard for free.

After open streets, the family parade will step off at 11 a.m. from 157th Street and travel north to 151st Street. The parade will include local businesses, community and civic groups, families, and more. The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life teams will serve as the parade’s grand marshals in honor of the organization’s 30th Anniversary.

The city once again will host a pub and restaurant open house from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

READ: Oak Forest Fleadh 2015 Lineup: Specials Offered at Pubs, Restaurants

Free shuttle buses will make continuous stops from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. at participating pubs and restaurants, including Blarney Stone Pub, Oak Forest Bowl, Marcotte’s Bar and Grill, Mrs. O’Brien’s Pub, Beggar’s Pizza, Tap’s Pub, Cindy’s Pub, Nite Games, Rockin’ Horse, Durbin’s, and Copper Still. Although not on the bus route, Gaelic Park and Oliver’s will be a part of the festivities. MillerCoors will be distributing taxi coupons to pub and restaurant open house venues in an effort to help patrons drink responsibly and arrive home safely.

Throughout the event, alcohol will only be permitted inside designated areas such as beer tents, beer gardens, pubs, and restaurants. The city’s public intoxication and open containers ordinances will be strictly enforced.

Free parking will be available all day and night in the Arbor Commuter Lot at the southwest corner of 159th Street and Oak Avenue, across from the Metra train station.

Cicero Avenue, from 151st to 159th streets, will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The city’s Emergency Management Agency will allow local traffic to get through the adjacent neighborhoods between 147th Street and 151st Street. It will redirect non-local traffic down 147th Street to Pulaski Road.

For more information or to volunteer, please call 708-687-4600, e-mail oakforestfleadh@oak-forest.org, visit www.oak-forest.org, or find us at www.facebook.com/cityofoakforest.