Despite a few sprinkles and overcast skies, thousands of area residents turned out for the 17th annual Fleadh Day Saturday in Oak Forest.
The Irish celebration kicked off with a 5K, then a parade and ending with an afternoon family fun festival at the Oak Forest Park District on Central Avenue.
This was the second year for the festival, and just as the parade wound down on the street out front, children and their families walked in from the drizzle for popcorn, snacks, drawing, games and just a lot of running around on play mats.
Director Kirstin Dahm said she’s happy for the visitors.
“We try hard to make sure there’s a little bit something for everybody,” she said. “This is a great event and we have a lot of people come because the parade ends in front of the Park District.”
Dahm said the Park District has always participated in the parade and she’s been involved since the first event. She’s seen the celebration grow into one of the best-loved community events of the year.
“It is it’s a huge community thing,” she said. “It’s one of the biggest things we do in Oak Forest and we really get to showcase what Oak Forest has to offer.”
And for some visitors, it was a first time.
Ashley Fahrenwald brought her baby, Theodore. It was a first for both of them. She said the warm weather brought them out with her mother and her nephew.
Fahrenwald said she’d never been to a Fleadh Day as she usually works Saturday, and she was glad to get out of the house.
“It’s great for the kids,” she said.
“It’s not a drunk festival, it’s a family affair,” explained her mother, Deborah Stamos.
In fact, Fleadh is the Gaelic translation for “festival.”
Despite the drizzle, Dahm pointed out the weather was OK for March. In her 17 years working the event, she’s seen a lot worse.
“Every year it’s something a little different,” she said. “We’ve had years where there’s snow on the ground and we’ve had years where it’s raining this year its misty. … When you have days like this it really puts it in perspective that we’re fortunate.”
Kay Reusnow was in for the Fun Fest with her granddaughter, Alice, and for them, by 1 p.m., it was a full day. The pair participated in the 5K at 8:30 a.m., watched the parade and then, as it started to rain, dropped into the Fun Fest where Alice spent another hour eating popcorn and running around.
“I’ve lived in Oak Forest for 30 years and this is the first time I’ve come out to this,” said Reusnow.
She said generally she works Saturdays, but she had a good time Saturday. She’s a runner and this was her first 5K this year and she reported she came in fifth in her age group — not so bad, considering she was running with a 5-year-old.
St. Damian School, an Oak Forest institution for more than 60 years, was the grand marshal for the family parade. School families led about 50 parade units, including a pipe and drum band, civic and community groups, schools, churches and businesses along Central Avenue.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
