River Forest didn't land a national All-America City designation, but the village stood out at the competition: it was the only Illinois finalist and the smallest community by population to present at the National Civic League's 2026 conference in Denver.

The league announced its 10 winners on Sunday, June 28, at the close of a three-day event where 20 finalist communities each delivered 10-minute presentations to a panel of 12 judges. River Forest's 11-person delegation was dwarfed by other groups that brought more than 30 representatives. Two finalist communities flew mariachi bands to Denver for their presentations, Village President Cathy Adduci told the Wednesday Journal.

Deputy Clerk Luke Masella coordinated the village's pitch and designed an interactive bingo-themed format to showcase River Forest's community-engagement programs.

"I knew we had a small delegation compared to other towns so I thought the bingo board may make us stand out," Masella said.

The presentation highlighted three flagship programs: Neighborhood Dialogues, Casual Conversations with the President, and Senior Bingo & BBQ. Seven Neighborhood Dialogues sessions were held over four months in 2024, with residents hosting small gatherings to discuss economic development. Nine Casual Conversations sessions have taken place since the program launched in May 2024. The village also cited youth-engagement efforts including seating a student commissioner on the Sustainability Commission, civic presentations to District 90 students, and the Junior Police Academy.

Other Illinois finalists since 2013 include Evanston in 2021 and Peoria in 2013. River Forest was named a finalist in March alongside 19 other municipalities nationwide.

The delegation included Adduci; trustees Megan Keskitalo, Robert O'Connell, and Lisa Gillis; Village Administrator Matt Walsh; Director of Public Works Jack Bielak; Assistant Village Administrator Jessica Spencer; Human Resource Manager Trish Ivansek; Fire Chief Tom Gaertner; and Police Chief James Greenwood.

Adduci said the effort was worthwhile despite the outcome, noting the village competed against cities with far more resources, some of which had won the award before. She was noncommittal about whether River Forest would apply again.

The All-America City Award has been given annually since 1949. Five hundred communities have received the designation over the program's 77-year history.