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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.

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The Valparaiso Popcorn Festival was founded in 1979 as a way of honoring Indiana native Orville Redenbacher, who began his business career selling popcorn out of a truck during high school, and later went on to found his successful company in 1970. Redenbacher was a resident of Valparaiso and participated in the festival until his death in 1995. In 2012, the town unveiled a statue of Redenbacher in their central park. The festival takes place the first Saturday after Labor Day, and includes a Popcorn Parade, a 5k fun run, and the children's "Lil' Kernel Puff Race".

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The Tinley Park, IL Oktoberfest is one of the only festivals in the Chicagoland area that so closely resembles the traditional Oktoberfest found in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. In the 1840s, German immigrants became the predominant settlers of Tinley Park and the festival celebrates this German heritage while also bringing the entire community together for beer, bratwurst, and music. Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration for Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate the royal event on the fields in front of the city gates. For the first few years, amusements were sparse. It wasn’t until 1818 that beer stalls were included, and in 1896, these stalls became the large beer tents seen at Oktoberfest festivals today. At these celebrations, you can find many people drinking out of traditional steins, mugs made for drinking beer. Steins have hinged lids and are known for their ornate, themed decorations.

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Washington state is located at the northwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. The state’s coastal location and excellent harbors give it a leading role in trade with Alaska, Canada, and countries of the Pacific Rim. Washington cities have sister cities in several countries, and their professional and trade associations commonly include Canadian members. Named for George Washington, the first U.S. president, the state was made from the western part of the Washington Territory, which was ceded by the British Empire in 1846, in accordance with the Oregon Treaty in the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute. Washington is often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the nation's capital, Washington, D.C..

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The Village of Tinley Park, formerly Bremen, was incorporated in 1892, but the area was settled primarily by emigrants from the Eastern United States, Germany, Ireland, England, Scotland and Canada beginning as early as the 1830s. The Village of Bremen was located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad lines in 1853, which influenced the village’s rapid expansion. In 1890, the name Bremen was changed to Tinley Park, in honor of the village’s first railroad station agent, Samuel Tinley Sr. Today, Tinley Park is known throughout the Chicago area for the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, an entertainment venue. After its centennial (1992), Tinley Park from the late 20th century to the present has been focused on renovation of its downtown historic district.

Tinley Park offers a number of rivers, lakes, and ponds to participate in recreational activities including fishing.

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The yellow birds in Peanuts comic strip by Charles M. Schulz first appeared in 1960. Eventually, the yellow birds inspired the character Woodstock, Snoopy's sidekick, who was introduced in 1968 as a consistent character. The birds chirp a language that only Snoopy can understand and are often seen with the onomatopoeia "sniff."

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The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1847 and is one of the foremost American newspapers, particularly in the Midwest. 

On July 18, 1985, over 1000 union production workers walked out after the failure of contract negotiations. The crux of the issue was the Tribune’s desire for complete control of the hiring, assignment, and direction of production workers. Thus began a years-long strike and many stalled negotiations. Within the first year, 68 bargaining sessions were held, and the unions and the Tribune both filed charges alleging unfair labor practices by the opposing side before the National Labor Relations Board. Many of the workers who had gone on strike were replaced, and even when unions offered to return unconditionally in 1986, few workers were rehired. The printers’ union sued the paper, alleging that their actions violated a 1975 agreement in which they were guaranteed lifetime employment. 

The printers’ union and the paper settled in 1989 with an $8.56 million settlement fund, a new three-year contract, and the withdrawal of a union lawsuit. However, even after the printers settled, the pressmen and the mailers remained out on strike, and hearings regarding labor relations between the pressmen, mailers, and paper continued into the 1990s. In 1992, a federal appeals court decreed that the Chicago Tribune did not violate federal labor laws

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Thornton Junior College was founded in 1927 as an extension of  Thornton Township High School in Harvey, Illinois. The 1965 Illinois Community College Act enlarged the service area to include additional high school districts, and in 1969 the school’s name was changed to Thornton Community College to better reflect the mission and goals of the college.

The school relied on tax dollars to support its mission, and throughout its history urged residents to vote yes at tax referendums. 1986 was a particularly fraught year for the school, when the need for a tax increase coincided with a six-week long teachers’ strike that led to the temporary closure of the school. 

In 1987, the two referendum proposals meant to address the college’s projected $1 million deficit failed. At the time, it was the eighth time in 21 years that voters had turned down a tax increase, and the school had both the lowest tax rates and the highest tuition of any of Illinois’ community colleges.   

In 1988, the name was changed again and the school became known as South Suburban College, which better reflects its geographic location and the fact a majority of its students hailed from outside of Thornton Township. The name change was also part of an advertising strategy to show a break with the college’s past and the many changes that were made following the tumult of the 1986 teacher’s strike. By 1989, a school that many had feared would go bankrupt was back in the pink.

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The Village of Tinley Park, formerly named Bremen, was settled in the 1830s, but finally incorporated as a village in 1892. Bremen was located on the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific Railroad lines as the railroad industry was rapidly expanding in the second half of the nineteenth century influencing the growth of the area. In 1890, the name Bremen was changed to Tinley Park, in honor of the Village’s first railroad station agent, Samuel Tinley Sr.

Tinley Park is best known throughout the Chicago area for its world-renowned Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre entertainment venue that seats 28,000. After its centennial (1992), Tinley Park has been working on preserving the appearance of the downtown historical district. Store owners are encouraged to maintain the historic storefronts or to mimic that architectural style in newer buildings from the past 30 years.