Local Programs/Events:
January 2 at 10:00 am, Trailside Museum presents New Years Resolution Walk. Register in advance by calling 708-366-6530.
January 3 at 9:00 am, Trailside Museum presents Senior Fitness Walks in Thatcher Woods with Roberta Jannsen. Register in advance by calling 708-366-6530
January 3 from 7:00 pm- 8:00 pm, River Forest Library presents their Adult Book Club. The book is When a River Runs through It by Norman Maclean.
January 4 at 7:00 pm( - February 1): Improv Workshop at the Madison Street Theater. For more information, click here.
January 5 at 10:00 am and again at 3:00 pm: CoGenerate and Urban Rural Action present National Day of Dialogue. For Dialogue #1 registration, click here.; For Dialogue #2, click here. [learn more about Urban Rural Action here.]. For other CoGenerate Events in January click here. [January 17: GoGenerate 101, January 30: On Midlife Revelations: An Interview with Chip Connolly, Author of Learning to Love Midlife:12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age]
January 6 from 10:00 am- 1:30 pm: Park District of Oak Park/ Fox Center (624 S. Oak Park Ave.) host Repair Cafe (every 1st Saturday of the month) Bring any small item that needs to be repaired. If you would like to volunteer to help fix items let them know as well.
January 8 from 1:15 pm- 2:15 pm: The Nineteenth Century Charitable Foundation presents Monday Enrichment Series: Chicago West Loop: Then and Now. For more details and if you want to watch virtually, click here. [Note: see programs on the 15th, 22nd and 29th too here.]
January 9 at 6:30 pm: Roberts Westside and Forest Park Arts Alliance present Tellers Night. Come hear storytellers and order a drink. There is no food, but you are welcome to bring your own food. General Admission is $15 at the door.
January 10 from 11:15 am- 12:15 pm Line Dancing at the Dole Center (in Oak Park) for Active Adults. Free to all. Teaches rhythm, groove and hip-hop. Sign up here. (ongoing Wednesdays)
January 11 at 7:00 pm: Illinois Public Libraries present Speculating about our AI Future with Cory Doctorow, Ken Liu, and Marth Wells. For more information and to register for this virtual event, click here.
January 12 from 9:30 am- 11:00 am: Oak Park Public Library presents Older Adults Coffee Hour in their Main Lobby area. (Main Library on Lake St.)
January 16 at 5:30 pm Dominican University presents Black Hair in a White World on National Day of Racial Healing with Dr. Tameka Ellington. This is a free event; no need to register.
January 16 from 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm: Roberts Westside presents Soup and Bread. A community event benefiting local food outreach programs.
January 16 at 7:00 pm Fitzgerald's presents The Moth StorySlam: Wonders. Come to this open mic story sharing event. Hear stories and share your five minute story if you are so inclined. Click here for tickets ($15)
January 17 (through March 16) from 10:00 am- 11:30 am: Age Options and the Oak Park/River Forest Townships present A Stress Busting Program. A nine week workshop for Caregivers of person's with Alzheimer's or other forms of Dementia. This is a virtual program. Register in advance here or call Devin Andrews at 708-725-9116.
January 17 at 3:00 pm: Free Readers Ensemble presents Blizzard '67 at the Nineteenth Century Club (178 Forest Ave., Oak Park). In this reading you will hear about Four Business Men talk about the politics at work while carpooling during the Blizzard. (Free Readers Ensemble's mission)
January 18 from 7:00 pm- 8:30 pm: Oak Park Public Library presents Mindful Mending with Susan Charrette and and Elizabeth Darrow from Little Bits Workshop in River Forest. This will be held at Dole Library in Oak Park. For more information and to register for this program, click here.
January 19 and 20: Oak Park Public Library presents Building Community. For more information and to register for this restorative justice program, click here.
January 19 at 7:30 pm: Good Shepherd's Jazz Prayer service features the Prohibition Trad Jazz Band that performs jazz from the early big band era – 1923-1934. Our readings will lean into the possibilities for new harmonies for humanity. Coming together isn't about losing self to a melting pot, but instead reveling in the differences to create new possibilities, new harmonies, new inclusive ways forward. Doors open at 7:10pm and music begins at 7:30pm. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, East & Randolph in Oak Park.
January 23 from 10:00 am- 11:00 am: AARP Equity By Design presents Principals in Action, Virtual Spotlight: Digital Twin Cities for All: Enabling Virtual Inclusion. Register here.
January 23 from 10:00 am- 12:00 pm: Arbor West Neighbors Meetup hosted by Cecily Mango (203 N Kenilworth, Oak Park) If you are not an AWN member, come to learn more about Arbor West Neighbors. To get on their email list and receive their newsletter email: arborwestneighbors@gmail.com
January 23, from 11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Focus Group for LGBT+ Older Adults in West Suburban Cook County. Thrive with Pride Event here.
January 23 from 6:00 pm- 7:00 pm: Oak Park Public Library presents Winter in the Garden: How to Overwinter with Joy and Meaning. Register for this virtual event here.
January 31 from 10 am- noon: Walk with the Nurse at Community Recreational Center (CRC). The public health nurse and other Public Health Department staff will be on hand to walk and talk with you, as well as offer free blood pressure checks, diabetic risk assessments and answer any public health-related questions you have. Just show up; Mention that Megan Ulczak from the Dole Center recommended program. (229 Madison St., Oak Park)
Websites for more Events:
Trailside Museum of Natural History events here. If you want their monthly email of events sent to you, reach out to Wes Wallace at Wes.Wallace@cookcounty.gov.
See Dominican University Events here.
Oak Park Library Calendar for January here.
Oak Park River Forest Museum January Calendar here.
Green Community Connect Calendar: (including Repair Cafe).
Click here.
The Oak Park River Forest Chamber of Commerce posts events:
Go to their site here and scroll down to All Community Events.
Newberry Library Events here. (many online)
The Park District of Oak Park has Active Adult Programming open to all communities (see just below); The Mohr Center in Forest Park has programming (see their newsletter in attachments) and
Oak Park/River Forest Township Senior Services has a lot of programming too. See their calendar here.
Wednesday Journal Community Section: here.
Also, please note the libraries, Township and OPRF Museum all have book clubs.
Ongoing:
Every Monday:
10:00 am- 10:50 am: Fitness Fellowship presents Gentle Yoga with Carol Olsen at Oak Park Arms (every Monday and Friday). Open to the community.
1:15 pm- 2:30 pm: Nineteenth Century Charitable Association presents their Monday Enrichment Series. For more information, click here. (note: all Monday Enrichment Programs are live-streamed if you can't make the event in person: Zoom link here.)
The Oak Park Meditation Group meets in person at the Oak Park Public Library "Maze Branch on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month from 6pm-8pm and on Zoom the other Mondays. It is open to all who want to learn and practice meditation together. Each session begins with a brief warm-up drawn from yoga or qigong, followed by meditation instruction, sitting and walking meditation, reading and discussion. Open to all. For more information, email OakParkMeditationGroup@gmail.com
Every Tuesday:
10:00 am- 10:50 am: Fitness Fellowship presents Gentle Tai Chi with Isaac Johnson at Oak Park Arms. (Every Tuesday and Thursday) Open to the Community.
1:00 pm: Illinois Pathways to Health and the Mohr Center host Fit and Strong: Moving Towards a Healthier You. See flyer here. (at the Mohr Center: 7640 Jackson Blvd.) (every Tuesday and Friday)
Every Wednesday:
10:00 am- 11:30 am: Free Zumba Gold at the Roos Center in Forest Park through Rush Oak Park Hospital and Park District of Forest Park. For more information, click here.
11:15 am- 12:15 pm: Line Dancing at the Dole Center (in Oak Park) for Active Adults. Free to all. Teaches rhythm, groove and hip-hop. Sign up here.
Every Thursday:
10:00 am- 10:50 am: Fitness Fellowship presents Gentle Tai Chi with Isaac Johnson at Oak Park Arms. (Every Tuesday and Thursday) Open to the Community.
10:00 am- 11:00 am: Come to Oak Park Township Senior Services Office (130 S. Oak Park Ave.) and join "Mad 4 Mats" (Made with Love) Learn how to make mats for the homeless or unhoused with "plarn". Please donate any plastic bags you may have.
1:00 pm- 3:00 pm: Come to the River Forest Community Center to play Mahjong and socialize. We have a teacher for those new to the game.
Every 4th Thursday:
from 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm: The Oak Park End of Life Options Coalition has their monthly meeting. For more information on this group reach out to Roz Byrne at roz@rozrealestate.com or call (708) 370-7444.
Every Friday:
10:00 am- 10:50 am: Fitness Fellowship presents Gentle Yoga with Carol Olsen at Oak Park Arms (every Monday and Friday). Open to the community.
1:00 pm: Illinois Pathways to Health and the Mohr Center host Fit and Strong: Moving Towards a Healthier You. See flyer here. (at the Mohr Center: 7640 Jackson Blvd.)
Every 1st Saturday:
Repair Cafe at Fox Community Center. (Fox Center) Bring any small items that need to be repaired. If you are interested in being a volunteer repair person please stop by and let them know.
Click here for more details.
Every Saturday:
1:00 pm- 5:00 pm: College of DuPage Radio presents Those Were the Days with Steve Darnall. Enjoy old-time radio classics and music on 90.9 FM WDCB or listen live here.
Every Sunday:
6:00 pm- 9:00 pm: Tune into Radio's Golden Age with Steve Darnall. KXEL- AM/1540 or listen live here. (Go to nostalgiadigest.com to learn more)
Local Music:
Music and Potlucks (a local organization of your neighbors that donates to local charities) To learn more, click here.
Friendly Music Community Calendar here.
Robert's Westside a new music venue in Forest Park. (Go to their facebook page if their website is down here.
Fitzgeralds Calendar of Events: Click here for their Event Calendar (including a lot of free music events in their side bar) They also have Baby Gold BBQ next door for before or during the show: Consider Moth Radio Show (tickets go fast) and Tuesday Bluesday, $5 Hamburger Wednesday and Voice Box
Other Useful Information:
If you are looking for a way to meet more people and you want to be more involved in your community, connect with Arbor West Neighbors (our local Village group). Learn more here.
Call 211 Metro Chicago is a free resource connecting all Cook County residents with essential health and social services to help them meet their basic needs. Trained, local specialists are available 24/7 to connect individuals with the support they need, such as food, housing, utility assistance, access to health care, and other vital resources.
Elderwerks Resource Directory here.
Rush Generations Information
CUB (Citizens Utility Board) provides help with utility bills. If you have any concerns about your bills, call 1-800-669-5556; Call for a Free Home Assessment: a representative will walk through your house to see how you can save and will give you free products to make things more affordable. 1-855-433-2700
Fraud/Scam Information:
Be careful of scammers or people trying to take advantage of you, whether they call or come to your door, including utility scammers. If you have any concerns, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 or CUB (the Citizens Utility Board) if it is related to your utilities at 1-800-669-5556 as well as your local Police Department. Another resource is the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline: 877-908-3360 a toll-free service available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Crime Prevention Fraud/Scam Tips from the River Forest Police Department here.
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