April showers bring May flowers, but April showers also bring full rain barrels to the city of Oak Forest. Outside homes and businesses across the city, colored rain barrels are collecting rain water, which can then be be used for a host of outdoor activities, such as lawn maintenance, washing cars and more.

The Green Steps Commission doesn't just want plain rain barrels around town, though—the commission wants residents to decorate their barrels, and especially the city's, with the Green Steps Commission Rain Barrel Contest.

The winning barrel will be displayed at Oak Forest City Hall and will be displayed at Clean Up Day, April 21.

“We want somebody to design the one we display at city hall,” said Jamie Perez, former head of the Green Steps Commission. “We'd like a resident to do it, just like they have the sticker design contest for the vehicle stickers, kind of the same thing here.”

The commission will be accepting entries until Monday, April 16, when the members will vote for the winning entry during its meeting.