About Thursday Night Out
Thursday Night Out runs Thursday evenings between June 5th to August 28th from 5pm to 9pm this year.
More than 20 Downtown Oak Park restaurants offer a variety of drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts on the TNO menu. Tables and chairs are set up outside for patrons to enjoy dining al fresco. Live music acts play at the end of Marion Street by North Blvd. Get to know different local non-profit groups each week at their tents and tables throughout the event area. Plus, mark your calendars for the theme nights below when there is a little something extra special happening at TNO!
June 5th - Pride Night
Kick off the 2025 TNO season with our third annual Pride Night, presented in partnership with the OPRF Chamber of Commerce! This event also marks the beginning of Pride weekend, leading up to the Out In The Burbs celebration on Saturday, June 7.
5pm-9pm - West End 40 - Marion St
Get in the groove with a group that absolutely brings the party!
5pm-9pm - Community Resource Fair - Lot 3
Featuring PFLAG, OPRF Chamber of Commerce, Age Options Thrive with Pride, & Sapphic Before Sunset.
Plus visit the OPPL Book Bike for some great summer reads!
6pm-8pm - Drag Queen Mingle
Meet and mingle with drag artists sponsored by local businesses as they walk the event area. Chat with the artists to learn more about the businesses they represent and get some swag!
6pm & 7:30pm - Drag Performances - Lot 3
Enjoy two sets of performances from some of the sponsored drag artists!
Participating Organizations
June 12th - WDCB Jazz Night
Join us for a night of Jazz sponsored by WDCB Jazz Radio!
Check out Marion Street and Lot 3 for activities from the Animal Care League.
5pm - 7pm - Visit the OPPL Book Bike for some great summer reads!
5pm - 7pm -Tempero Brasileiro - Marion Street
Spice up your evening with the rich rhythms of Tempero Brasileiro, a flute and guitar duo blending Brazilian choro, samba, classical, and jazz—perfect for a flavorful night of live music you won't want to miss!
7pm-9pm - Marcel Bonfim’s Brazilian Jazz Quartet - Marion Street
Experience the vibrant sounds of Marcel Bonfim’s Brazilian Jazz Quartet, where rich Brazilian rhythms meet smooth Chicago jazz for an unforgettable night of soulful, cross-cultural grooves.
Participating Organizations
June 19th - Juneteenth
Join us for a night of music!
5pm - 9pm - I.V. Collective - Marion Street
Celebrate Juneteenth with the I.V. Collective, a powerhouse band of true artists whose soulful, high-energy performance blends gospel, hip hop, and pure musical mastery—don’t miss this unforgettable night of rhythm, pride, and celebration!
Participating Organizations
June 26th - Bluegrass & Country Night
Join us for a soulful evening of live bluegrass, folk and country music. This isn't Downtown Oak Park's first rodeo!
5pm - 7pm - The Box Band - bluegrass and folk music.
7pm - 9pm - The While Saddle Band - country, blues and a bit of rock n' roll.
Participating Organizations
July 3rd - Red, White, and Blues
Join us for a soulful evening of live blues from Chicago's finest, great food, and patriotic vibes in the heart of Downtown Oak Park!
5pm - 9pm - Billy Flynn and The Smiley Tillmon Band - Marion Street
Catch Chicago’s finest—Billy Flynn and The Smiley Tillmon Band—live at Red, White & Blues! Don’t miss this unforgettable night of powerhouse blues.
Participating Organizations
July 10th - Kids Night
Join Us for a night of music and activities from local family-friendly organizations!
Kids Night Sponsored by AFS Intercultural Programs USA
Host an AFS Exchange Student
Check out Marion Street and lot 3 for activities from: Dynamic Lynks, CEDA WIC, OPPL Book Bike, Glasser Preschool, ProMusica Youth Chorus, Collaboration for Early Childhood, Imagine Foundation, and Oak Park Film Festival.
5pm - 7pm - Juliet Trio - Marion Street
The Juliet Trio is a rising jazz trio from Oak Park, delivering smooth standards with skill and style. Catch these talented young artists live!
7pm - 9pm - The Local Group Band - Marion Street
The Local Group brings high-energy rock and pop hits—classic anthems to today’s chart-toppers. Come ready to sing, dance, and party!
Participating Organizations
- Oak Park Public Library Book Bikes
- Collaboration for Early Childhood
- Dynamic Lynks Music Therapy Center
- CEDA for Women, Infants & Children
- Glasser Preschool
- The Imagine Foundation
- The Oak Park Film Festival
- Pro Musica Youth Chorus
- Schoolhouse Kitchen + Studio
- Oak Leyden Able & Equal
- River Forest Public Library
- West Suburban Montessori School
- DCFS Partnering with Parents
- FIT4MOM Oak Park River Forest
- Kids Unlimited Therapy Services
- St. Vincent Ferrer School
- Montessori Language Academy
- TranscenDance Studios
- Kind Cooperative Education Services
- Brain to Belly Kids Yoga
July 17th - Latin Night
Enjoy Latin music all evening with René Avila's Afro-Cuban Quartet!
Participating Organizations
July 24th - Salsa Night
Feel the rhythm at Salsa Night—enjoy Latin music all evening and join a free community salsa lesson under the stars!
5pm - 5:45pm -Salsa Lesson Led by Denita of Desueno Dance - Marion Street
Join Denita Inez, for a free salsa community class before the live salsa begins!
5:45pm - 7pm - Tematica - Marion Street
Temática brings the vibrant energy of modern Cuban Timba to Chicago, blending Afro-Cuban rhythms with a fresh, danceable sound that’s perfect for summer nights.
7pm - 9pm -Almafuerte - Marion Street
Experience Almafuerte at Thursday Night Out—a genre-blending Latin roots project led by Jaime Garza, mixing cumbia, Latin jazz, son jarocho, and soul in a vibrant live performance!
Participating Organizations
July 31st - Jazz & Funk Night
Enjoy and evening of Jazz and Funk genre music with the Radium Swing Bank and Bardware!
Participating Organizations
August 7th - Art Night
Celebrate the arts at Thursday Night Out with live music and a pop-up art market featuring the unique work of local artists, and arts-related non-profit organizations on site with information about their programs!
Featuring the work of local artists: Coming Soon!
Participating Organizations
August 14th - Health and Wellness Night
Get to know the Health and Wellness businesses available right here in Downtown Oak Park at a Self-Care Fair in Lot 3, featuring local businesses and organizations, including Thursday Night Out sponsor RUSH Oak Park!
For an extra healthy TNO:
Walk or bike to the event
Enjoy some of the healthy options on the TNO menu
Dance with friends and neighbors
Connect with other Oak Park community members
Participating Organizations
August 21st - Jazz & Afro-Cuban Music Night
Celebrate Thursday Night Out with live music from the Bonzo Squad and the Anthony Bruno Quartet!
Participating Organizations
August 28th - Dog Day of Summer
Celebrate our furry friends at Dog Day of Summer—a tail-wagging evening of pet-friendly fun and activities with Animal Care League!
Participating Organizations
Become a non-profit participant at Thursday Night Out!
Are you a local non-profit interested in participating in Thursday Night Out?
Please contact us.
Our Green Mission
Downtown Oak Park’s green mission is to create and maintain a sustainable and eco-friendly climate within our businesses and at all our events.
