Ticket to Oak Fest 2011: 'It's a Family Affair'

The Main Event: PCW Wrestling

Where: Just inside the main entrance. 

When: Doors open at noon, until midnight; the wrestling event runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Special Event: Park opens at 11 a.m., until noon, for children with special needs only

It's the weekend, it's summer and you and your family are looking for some fun and excitement in Oak Forest. Why not head on down to the 24th Annual Oak Fest today, where there's plenty of family events to keep you and the kids busy.

“The best part of [today] is all the kids stuff we do,” said fest chairmen Joseph Koce. “This is the only day we get to do it. It's the best day to come out if you want a family type day.”

Wrestlemania

Back by popular demand, PCW wrestlers will grab their audience by the figurative head and put them in an entertainment chokehold, tonight.

The fun—perfect with a slab of ribs—begins at 6 p.m., and goes until 8 p.m.

'The Kids are Alright'

Before the fest opens, special needs children only can enjoy the thrill of rides and games from 11 a.m. to noon.

A watermelon contest will be held at 4 p.m., and a pie-eating contest will be held at 5 p.m. Both events cater to adults and kids. 40 pies were ordered for the pie-eating event, during which kids will compete with pie quarters and adults will compete with full pies. Registration is free, but a waiver must be signed to compete.

From noon to 3 p.m., families can enjoy performances from local children groups, including karate students from the southwest suburbs.

Zingo or bingo for kids will run from 1 p.m., until 2 p.m. Bingo cards are 50 cents a piece or three for $1.

Bean Bag Tournament

Loosen up your underhand, bean-bag throwers. Adults can compete at the fest's bean bag tournament starting a 2 p.m. Registration starts at 1 p.m., and is $40 for two people. Drink tickets will help keep your thirst quenched while you compete.

Big Business

To show fest-goers what they're all about, 20 to 25 businesses from Oak Forest and the surrounding suburbs will set up tables, offering coupons and information, at the fest from noon to 4 p.m.

“They're not selling anything,” Koce said of the local businesses. “They just [want] to talk to people as they come up to the table and tell them what they're about.”

Cover Bands

, a classic-rock cover band from Oak Forest, flew in from across the country just to play Oak Fest, said Koce. They'll hit the stage from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Rock cover band April's Reign will perform tunes from CeeLo Green, Def Leopard and Cheap Trick, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

"Playing all thrillers and absolutely NO fillers," cover band will have the crowd dancing to hit songs from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Check out the Carnival

When's the last time you tossed a ping-pong ball into a goldfish bowl, or rode the carousel? If it's been a while, you can enjoy them until your heart's content tonight, from noon to midnight.

Bingo!

From 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., you can try your luck at the bingo table. Bingo cards are only 50 cents a piece or three for $1. There's no limit to the number of cards you can play at one time, but you must be 18 with a valid drivers license or state ID to play.

Oak Fest, which will be held at 159th Street and Central Avenue, runs until Monday, July 4. Tickets for individual days are $25. Check back with Oak Forest Patch, where we'll feature the events you can't miss (though the whole fest sounds amazing) each morning of Oak Fest.