City Receives Grant Money to Fund Fleadh Promotion

Therecently received a $3,259 Local Tourism Marketing Grant from the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau to promote the Oak
Forest Fleadh on Saturday, March 10 on Cicero Avenue between 151st Street and 159th Street.

The event, which celebrates Irish culture and tradition, includes customer appreciation celebrations at local businesses from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., an open bike ride from 10 to 11 a.m., a 5K run at 8:30 a.m., a family parade at 11 a.m., and a pub and restaurant open house from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

The $3,259 grant will be used to create and place ads in Chicago magazine, Chicago Athlete magazine and Irish American News and a billboard on I80/94.

"We’re changing things up a little this year by reversing the direction of the parade," said Oak Forest-Crestwood Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Kim Malecky-Iles. "The parade will kick off at 157th Street instead of 151st Street so that we can use the Gateway Development at 159th and Cicero Avenue as our staging area. By centralizing the 5K and parade staging areas, we’re hoping to make things more efficient for participants and organizers."

The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau distributes up to $46,000 annually to Southland municipalities and not-for-profit organizations to promote events designed to draw visitors into the Chicago Southland region for overnight stays. These visitors contribute substantially to the Southland economy through stays in regional hotels, dining at local restaurants, shopping, recreational activities, and needed services travelers require, such as gas, oil and sundry items.

"The Local Tourism Grant program is a way for the Bureau to extend its marketing reach,” said Jim Garrett, CDME, President and CEO of the Chicago Southland CVB. “The marketing efforts by our communities—in addition to marketing efforts by the Bureau—help us better promote the many festivals and events and area attractions throughout the Southland to potential visitors."

For more information about the Fleadh, please visit www.oak-forest.org, e-mail
oakforestfleadh@oak-forest.org or call 708-687-4600.