2024 was the 4th year for the Invasion of the Scarecrows fundraiser for the Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park, and once again the event was a smashing success. Forest Park residents who were part of the “Invasion” displayed scarecrows in front of their homes or businesses and showed off their creativity, talents and pride in Forest Park. Some scarecrows were funny, some were scary, some were very clever, and all were very unique. Chappell Roan and Beetlejuice were very popular this year, with three different scarecrows depicting each. A property tax bill was the scariest, something every home owner can relate to. There was an astronaut stuck in space, there were super heroes, and there were -- of course – cicadas. And there was so much more!! The scarecrow committee feels that everyone who participated is a winner. 

Prizes for the top vote getters in each category were awarded as follows:
Most Artistic:       First Prize: Harry Potter – 825 Beloit – Gabrielle Groener
                                Runner-up: Little Shop of Horrors - 7612 Harrison - Heather Gould
 
Most Historic:       First Prize: Belle Gunness – 531 Circle – Jessica Voogd
                                Runner-up: The Ghost of Alice Paul - 7651 Adams - Betsy Homan
 
People’s Choice: First Prize: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce - 7706 Monroe – Megan Roach
                                Runner-up: The Ghost of Skipped Leg Day – 7511 Madison – John Hayley
 
Forest Park Pride: First Prize: Silvia, Ferrara's Friendliest Face – 905 Circle – Kimberly Adami-Hasegawa
                                  Runner-up: The Ghost of Skipped Leg Day – 7511 Madison – John Hayley
 
All four first prize winners received gift bags with merchandise and/or gift certificates from local businesses. Each runner-up received a bottle of prosecco to help them celebrate their success. And all four participants from the 900 block of Circle received prizes for being the most involved block.

The Historical Society of Forest Park and the Forest Park Arts Alliance are grateful for merchandise, services and gift card donations by the following local businesses and individuals, and would like to say THANK YOU to:

Lin Beribak, Loyola Center for Fitness, Mark Boroughf, Brown Cow, Circle Lanes, Elements Massage, Famous Liquors, Fat Duck, Jimmy’s Place, Kribi Coffee, Maison de Bonbon, Scratch Public House, Starship Subs, Twisted Cookie and Rick Wagner. The Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park also donated prizes.
100 new scarecrow kits will be available for purchase again next year. The Arts Alliance of Forest Park and the Historical Society of Forest Park hope that this year’s “invaders” will want to be involved again in 2025, along with many new participants.

Photo of Megan Roach with her creations Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce who won first prize in the People’s Choice category is not included, because Taylor is currently on tour, performing at Fiber Flash on Constitution Court. However, photos of Taylor, Travis, and all other 2024 scarecrows can be found at http://www.forestparkhistory.org.
A big THANK YOU goes out to everyone who participated this year and supported our two organizations!
Uli Leib
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On behalf of the 2024 Scarecrow Committee of the HSFP and the AAFP

At this year’s annual meeting, the Historical Society of Forest Park honored Michelle Melin Rogovin with the Dr. Frank Orland Award. Michelle has been a champion and leader, generously supporting the Historical Society of Forest Park. Over two decades ago, her husband, Mark, served on our Board, and she has been a steadfast supporter of our local historical society before, during, and since his tenure. Her time, talent, and contributions have supported our efforts.
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Michelle has been a generous supporter of our local historical society for decades. She attends almost every event—you will see her at May Day, Trivia Night, and before a bike tour. She goes beyond mere attendance; she has shared her gorgeous garden during our annual Garden Walk and even opened her home and garden for the pre-party for the volunteers of the Garden Walk.


She has generously offered her talents and has worked on procuring grants for our society. Michelle is a positive and grounding force, helping us frame our goals and objectives. She is currently assisting in revising the book The Day Will Come, which highlights the Haymarket Martyrs’ Monument and the graves and ashes that rest alongside and near the monument.


Additionally, Michelle has stepped in generously as a benefactor for multiple years, giving us the ability to create content and build our connection to the community. Her support, along with that of other donors and supporters, helps us achieve our mission. We work to build our resources and make them accessible to the community, while also raising awareness of our collective cultural heritage to foster pride in our community.

Click to enlarge and see address

Beautiful weather graced the 7th Annual Garden Walk, a fundraiser for the Historical Society of Forest Park. On Saturday, over 225 people attended the event, which showcased eight gardens with the help of dozens of volunteers ensuring everything ran smoothly.
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The day began with ticket pick-up at the Park District of Forest Park’s Roos Recreation Center. Inside, the Historical Society presented a pop-up museum highlighting Forest Park's rich history. Outside, the park district’s grounds supervisor displayed a sample Victory Garden next to Building 4, reflecting this year's theme.
Participating homeowners graciously opened their gardens, each space a testament to their hard work and creativity. Garden Walk booklets provided the history of each garden and the concept of Victory Gardens.


On Friday evening, hosts, volunteers, members, and sponsors gathered for a kickoff party at Michelle Melin-Rogovin's garden, the 2022 Best in Show winner. Saturday's after-party was held at McGaffer’s Saloon, where Joe Lepkowski was awarded Best in Show with a beauitul award made by Lin Beribak at the Forest Park Art Alliance. All gardens were given a special award by the Forest Park Garden Club that highlighted what made them special. 

Izzo at the Park District of Forest Park, Goode, Backman, Lipkins,  Pittman-Johannsen, Wagner, Beribak, and ​Lepkowski

​Thank you to Kristen Lyons, Garden Walk Chair, and HSFP Board President Mark Boroughf. They dedicated months to this walk, finding gardens and sponsors, setting up our pop-up museum, scheduling volunteers, and managing everything in Forest Park before and after the event. Special thanks to Kristen for coordinating with the Park District for this wonderful starting point and their collaboration. Shout out to our entire Historical Society board who work so hard on this and all our events!

Thank you to Linda Beribak at the Art Alliance not only was she a garden host this year but she also created this beautiful award for Best in Show!

Running the Garden Walk requires 25 volunteers, we couldn't do this without you!

Not only Is the Garden Walk a ton of fun it is also our biggest fundraiser of the year! Huge thank you our sponsors who bought booklet ads, many of which come back year after year.

April Baker Homes
Ferrara Candy Company
Smokey Joel's
Everett Wealth Solutions
Lauren Burjan @Properties
McGaffer's Saloon
O'Sullivan's Public House
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And a thank you to our community partners 
Park District of Forest Park
Garage Galleries
Oak Park Garden Walk
Forest Park Garden Club

And a thank you to our raffle donors
Kristen Lyons
Michelle-Melin Rogovin
Kiwanis of Forest Park
McGaffer's Saloon