Oak Park's Hemingway District will host a grand re-opening celebration on Saturday, Nov. 14, marking the expected end of months of construction that has disrupted the Oak Park Avenue corridor.

The event, called "On the Road Again," is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to the Hemingway District's website. Specific programming has not been announced. The event page reads only: "Stay tuned for more info on our grand re-opening celebration!"

The celebration is timed to follow the expected completion of Renew the Avenue, an $18 million infrastructure and streetscaping project that has torn up Oak Park Avenue since February. Crews have been replacing century-old water and sewer lines beneath the street between Ontario Street and Randolph Street while adding art installations and curb bump-outs above ground.

The project's hard deadline is Thanksgiving, the Wednesday Journal reported in January. Village officials separately promised businesses on the 100 South and 100 North blocks of Oak Park Avenue that work would finish before the holiday shopping season, according to an April report.

The construction has hurt business. Owners along the avenue have reported losing customers since work began, citing decreased foot traffic and parking difficulty, according to the Wednesday Journal. The village extended free parking at the Avenue Parking Garage at 720 North Blvd. to 90 minutes during the project and posted extra signage to direct drivers there.

Moses Valdez, president of the Hemingway Business District and owner of Selleria Veneta and the Style Society Club, has been a vocal supporter of the project despite the short-term pain. "Once the construction is done, it's going to be very beneficial for our businesses in the avenue," Valdez told the Wednesday Journal in June.

The district has staged several events to keep shoppers coming during construction, including an April 11 block party held early in the project and a summer Bike to the Biz promotion offering monthly $250 drawings to customers who collected receipts from participating businesses. Oak Parker Terry Lavery won the July drawing, according to the village's weekly report.

The Nov. 14 re-opening falls between two other Hemingway District events: Fall Family Fun on Saturday, Oct. 17, and a Shop Small and Tree Lighting Celebration on Saturday, Nov. 28. All three events are listed on the Hemingway District's events page.