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Tinley Park is a suburb of southwest Chicago and was settled by German immigrants in the 1840s. In 2000, about a quarter of Tinley Park residents self-reported as having German ancestry. On an annual basis, Tinley Park hosts Oktoberfest—a festival traditionally held in Bavaria, Germany—to commemorate the beginning of autumn. Oktoberfest was originally a royal event that marked the marriage between King Ludwig I and Princess Therese in 1810. In Tinley Park, the celebration transpires over a three-day period in September at the 80th Avenue Metra Station and is open to all. Not only is the festival a nod to Tinley Park’s German roots, but it also unites thousands of residents together for a fun weekend filled with locally brewed beer and live folk music. Attendees can also expect a kid-friendly carnival, German food, and Bavarian dancing at Oktoberfest.
German Beer Institute. (2006). Oktoberfest. https://web.archive.org/web/20131020064254/http://www.germanbeerinstitut... Tinley Park Oktoberfest. (2019). Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pg/tinleyparkoktoberfest/posts/ Tinley Park Public Library. (n.d.). History of Tinley Park, Illinois. https://www.tplibrary.org/about-us/community/tinleynet-history-tinley-pa...