For the first time in its history, rain has forced the postponement of the Historical Society of Oak Park and River Forest’s signature fall event.
The annual Tale of the Tombstones cemetery walk will now take place at 1 p.m. Oct. 29 at Forest Home Cemetery, 863 Desplaines Ave., in Forest Park, after the event was rained out last weekend.
“For the first time ever, our cemetery walk was rained out,” historical society executive director Frank Lipo said. “I guess after 25 straight years without a washout, the law of averages caught up to us.”
According to Lipo, this year’s theme is “Immigrants: They get the job done,” and the walk will feature six stories told by 11 actors beside several graves inside the cemetery.
Among the stories to be told include a German man and a Russian woman who helped improve working conditions for many American workers, a German immigrant who showed love to his adopted country by serving in World War I, a Swedish immigrant who spearheaded the growth and development of the Park District of Oak Park, and the story of a resident of Chicago’s Austin neighborhood and how she devoted herself to improving the lives of immigrants in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.
Tickets are available for $15 each, and sales to the event will begin at 12:30 p.m. just inside the main gates of Forest Home Cemetery. The last tour is scheduled to leave at 2 p.m.
More information about the event is available at www.oprfhistory.org or by calling 708-848-6755.
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