More than 40 craft breweries, cideries, and distilleries will take over Marion Street on Saturday, August 22, drawing foot traffic to downtown Oak Park during a construction-heavy summer.

The 19th Annual Oak Park Microbrew Review, organized by the Downtown Oak Park Business Alliance, bills itself as the Midwest's largest zero-waste craft beverage festival. The event diverts 95% of festival waste from landfills, according to Downtown Oak Park's announcement.

Every ticket purchase directly supports Seven Generations Ahead, the Oak Park-based environmental nonprofit founded in 2001 by Gary Cuneen. The organization, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, works on climate education, composting, and sustainable food programs across the Chicago area. The Microbrew Review is its signature annual fundraiser.

The festival also features live music alongside the tastings.

Downtown context

The event lands roughly three months before the scheduled completion of the Renew the Avenue streetscape project on Oak Park Avenue, about a mile south of Marion Street in the Hemingway Business District. That $18 million overhaul of century-old water and sewer infrastructure began in January and is expected to wrap by Thanksgiving 2026.

Marion Street is not affected by the construction. But the broader downtown corridor has felt the squeeze of a summer building season, and Village President Vicki Scaman said in January, when the streetscape project launched, that she wants to "see this district really thriving" and noted "there are some great businesses there already that have high energy, hosting events, increasing tourism."

The Downtown Oak Park Business Alliance organizes the Microbrew Review as part of its year-round programming for the corridor.

What to know

Tickets are available through downtownoakpark.net. Downtown Oak Park said August 3 that tickets are selling quickly. Specific pricing, event hours, and the full vendor lineup had not been posted as of that date.

The full lineup and ticket details are expected on the Downtown Oak Park website ahead of the August 22 festival.