Get out your finest green duds and start brushing up on your Irish accent, the 4th annual Fleadh is coming.
On Saturday, March 9, the Oak Forest Fleadh kicks off bright and early, with fun flowing throughout the day, into the nighttime hours.
Get going in green at 8:30 a.m. with the Oak Forest Fleadh 5K, with the course taking runners through the city's 3rd District before reaching the finish line near 159th Street and Cicero Avenue.
Following the 5K, Active Transportation Alliance's Open Bike Ride wheels down Cicero Avenue, from 157th Street to 151st Street.
Then the Fleadh Family Parade steps off at 11 a.m. from the corner of 157th Street and Cicero Avenue. Space is still available to march in the parade; sign up on the city of Oak Forest's website. The deadline is Feb. 27!
Later in the afternoon, the restaurant open house kicks off at 5 p.m., with local pubs and eateries hosting open houses until the early morning hours. A list of participating restaurants can be found below.
- Beggars Pizza
- Blarney Stone Pub
- Marcotte's Bar and Grill
- Chicago Gaelic Park
- Oak Forest Bowl
- Oliver's Bar and Grill
- Cindy's Pub
- Tap's Pub
- Mrs. O'Brien's Pub
Be sure to check back Monday, Feb. 25, as Patch spotlights one restaurant per day, highlighting its specials for the Fleadh.
We published the list posted on the city's website. Not sure why they're not participating, but they're not on the list. Perhaps a customer should nudge them to get in on the fun! :) Lauren
This may be great for the bars, as they basically get a second St. Patrick's day, but if you are not a bar and your business is on Cicero Ave., you lose any business that may have come your way that day. Maybe the city could look to moving the parade and festivities to a street that is not a "business corridor".
How much shopping happens at Aldi's when Cicero is closed? How much gas is sold at Phillips 66 with the street closed? The boat place, the used car lot, the truck top store, the body shop,the car stereo place, Mickey's, the liquor store, the bank, and more might as well just close for the day as no traffic can get to them. For a city that is trying to attract new business on Cicero Ave., closing the street may not be the best idea. Why not move to Central Ave.? There are no businesses and plenty of room to run the 5K and parade. Sorry for being such a poobah, it was just my opinion.