Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour set
Historic homes ranging from craftsman to colonial revivals and prairie style can be seen during the annual Beverly/Morgan Park Home Tour hosted from noon to 5 p.m. May 17 by the Beverly Area Planning Association.
This year’s tour honors the 50th anniversary of the designation of the Ridge Historic District on the national Register of Historic Places. In addition, a new exhibit dedicated to the Ridge Historic District opens at the Ridge Historical Society, 10621 S. Seeley Ave. in Chicago.
Four of the five homes featured in the tour are in the historic district: a prairie style home built in 1909, an American foursquare constructed in 1908 with a prairie style influence, a colonial revival house that’s been updated and a craftsman house built in 1913 filled with art. Another home is an art moderne house constructed in 1939.
The check-in location is Walter R. Barker House in the Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, Walsh Girls Campus, 11600 S. Longwood Drive. Guests can enjoy local tastings from local businesses, gain information about decorating and neighborhood history and receive a map. Parking is at the west end of the building, although not all homes are within walking distance.
Tour tickets cost $30 in advance or $35 at the door for association members or $35 in advance and $40 at the door for others. Buy online at bapa.org/home-tour or call 773-233-3100.
Woman’s Club walk benefits MVCC scholarships
Moraine Valley Community College will be the beneficiary for the Palos Park Woman’s Club’s fourth annual Mother’s Day Walk, set for 8 to 11 a.m. May 9. Participants choose from a 1-mile wood chip path around Lake Katherine, a 2-mile path along the Cal-Sag trail or a 3-mile route along both paths. Vendors and exhibitors will sell last-minute Mother’s Day gifts.
All proceeds benefit the club’s community initiatives and the college’s Last Mile Scholarship program, which offers funds for students very close to completing their degree or certification.
Walk registration costs $25 for adults and $15 for children 3 to 18 plus a service fee; younger children walk for free. Sign up online by looking for the walk at eventbrite.com.
Free Park Forest documentary screening
The documentary film “Revisiting Utopia,” directed by Phil Rockrohr, is playing for free at the Gwendolyn Brooks Library at Chicago State University at 2 p.m. May 16. It will be followed by a panel discussion with five people who are featured in the story.
The film about race relations and growing up in Park Forest has has played to sold out houses of 250 in Park Forest in January and 160 at Logan Theatre in Chicago in April.
Oak Lawn journalism students win sectional
The Oak Lawn Community High School Journalism Team won last month’s sectional, thanks to experienced veterans and new members, earning 67 points with several students capturing sectional wins and others placing in the top six in each event to add to the total.
The 2025-26 Oak Lawn Community High School Journalism Team won the journalism sectional last month, competing against schools such as Evanston, Argo and St. Laurence. (Oak Lawn Community High School)
Sectional champion senior Sara Abdelrahman won in Editorial Writing and Yearbook Caption Writing; seniors Rory Ali was sectional champion in Photo Storytelling; junior Makaila O’Brien won Review Writing and got second in Featuring Writing. Sophomores Sara Nassar and Mariam Hrezi won Yearbook Theme Development, and freshman Ryszard Plata won News Writing.
Top three finishers are seniors Naliyah Anderson for Advertising, Sophia Valdez for Radio Broadcast and Joseph O’Leary for Newspaper Design; sophomore Kalid Cintron for Headline Writing; and freshman John Allison for Yearbook Copy. Sophomore Yusr Elmer and junior Brody Ivey also earned points for the team.
Evergreen Park library butterfly garden plant sale set
Bob “The Butterfly Guy” Erlich’s butterfly garden plant sale featuring native Illinois plants that attract butterflies, takes place this month at the Evergreen Park Public Library, 9400 S. Troy Ave.
Appointments are available for early bird shopping May 11 to 19. Participants should call 708-203-2809 to make one.
Plants will be sold in the library lobby May 20 to 23. Erlich will host a “meet the expert” session from 9 a.m. to noon May 23, offering tips for the best plants and answering questions.
All proceeds from the sale benefit the Evergreen Park Library Foundation.
Forager joins Tallgrass Prairie Group for talk
Sierra Club’s Tallgrass Prairie Group hosts its last meeting before a summer break at 7 p.m. May 11 at the Frankfort Public Library, 21119 Pfeiffer Road.
During “Eat the Neighborhood,” professional forager Dave Odd will talk about edible and medicinal plants in the area. He claims to find about 50 edible mushrooms and plants in any neighborhood.
All meetings are free and open to the public. RSVP at the Illinois Sierra Club’s calendar at www.sierraclub.org/illinois/events-calendar.
Author visits Orland Park library
Author Sahar Mustafah, the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, will give a talk at 7 p.m. May 12 at the Orland Park Public Library, 14921 S. Ravinia Ave.
The award-winning writer has won honors for her short stories, including a Distinguished STory recognition in Best American Short Stories, three Pushcart Prize nominations and the Guild Literary Complex Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel is “The Slightest Green.”
Mustafah will talk about her literary journey from Chicago to Palestine, followed by a book signing and copies will be sold at the event. The event is open to the public but registration is requested at orlandpark.librarycalendar.com. Information is at 708- 428-5100.
Arts, crafts, live music planned at Mai Fest
More than 100 artisan vendors, four live bands and refreshments will be featured from noon to 5 p.m. May 9 at Mai Fest 2026 at Old Western Avenue and Broadway Street in Blue Island.
Free parking is available in city lots off Western Avenue north of the Cal Sag, and free shuttle will take people from the lots to the fest.
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