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Orland Park Culture and Entertainment

Orland Park is fortunate to be in the center of an area rich in cultural amenities. Residents satisfy their taste for talent and expression in nearby theaters, concert halls, and galleries.

Moraine Valley Community College’s Fine and Performing Arts Center is only minutes away from Orland Park. The $13 million center houses two theaters, an art gallery, instructional classrooms and labs, and rehearsal rooms. It also regularly presents nationally and locally known artists and speakers.

Governors State University’s Regional Center for Technology and the Performing Arts, a state-of-the-art 1,200-seat center, features an orchestra pit on a lift and the latest in television technology.

A host of cultural attractions make their homes in the Chicago Southland area. The Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra is based in Park Forest, as are the Conservatory of Music and Dance and the Illinois Theatre Center. Orland Park is also home to a branch of the American Dance Center. The award-winning dance company has drawn its talent for 36 years from the residents of the south suburbs.

Back at home, the Orland Park Civic Center is a busy place throughout the year. It offers many events such as monthly computer shows; baseball card shows; Monday and Wednesday bingo; travel shows; arts and crafts; and collectible shows. The Civic Center is available for weddings, showers, graduations and other social functions as well.

The attractive outdoor amphitheater at Orland Park’s Village Center is the site of free summertime concerts sponsored by the Recreation and Parks Department. Titled “Concerts on Ravinia,” they are presented on Sunday evenings. On selected Wednesdays during the summer, the amphitheater is the setting for “Wednesday Happenings Children’s Entertainment,” featuring jugglers, magicians, mimes, storytellers, and other family entertainers. From fall to spring, community schools present performances by talented student orchestras and choirs, as well as dramatic presentations.

The award-winning Orland Park Theatre Troupe has become a recognized Chicago Southland cultural arts program. Area adults and children are invited to audition for any of the troupe’s productions. The troupe performs at the Carl Sandburg High School Performing Arts Center and the Orland Park Civic Center, among other venues.

Youthful and active, Orland Park residents are involved in more than 40 clubs, organizations, and commissions. Among these is the Orland Park Arts Commission, which works with the Village’s Recreation and Parks Department to bring visual and performing arts to the community. A major event of the Arts Commission is the Fine Art Fair that is held annually in July at the Orland Crossing Retail Center. Featured are paintings, sculptures, wood and metal art, pottery, and other treasured “objet d’art” from renowned artisans who come from near and far to display their stunning professional art talents. The Village’s Recreation and Parks Department also sponsors an Orland Park Improv Group - a comedy improv team that performs at least seven times throughout the year.

Festivals and various other events play an important role in family culture and entertainment. The Chef’s Auction, a food-tasting and silent auction held in March, benefits cancer research. Late spring begins with Friday morning Farmers’ Markets held until autumn at the Village Center grounds.

The Orland Park Garden Walk is held in June. Orland Days is held on the first weekend in June, and it features entertainment, a carnival, a beer garden, and parade. The annual Fourth of July Celebration – “Independence Day Spectacular” – in Centennial Park is another popular event that draws Orland Park families by the thousands. In August, the Orland Park Police Department hosts “Night Out Against Crime” and “Ride for Special Olympics,” both informative community activities held at Village Center. The “Taste of Orland Park,” drawing over 30,000 people, showcases the wonderful eating establishments in the Village during its Village Center three-day run in August.

In September 2004, the Orland Park Public Library opened its new library located at 149th and Ravinia Avenue. Orland Park’s primary resource facility offers reading and audiovisual materials, as well as state-of-the-art technology. The library provides a wide range of services, including homebound, reference, and inter-library loan services. The impressive 85,000-square-foot building, accomplished through a land/building swap with the Village, has expanded library services tremendously, and it has become a cultural focal point in the community. In 2007, the Orland Park Public Library was the recipient of the prestigious Brick in Architecture Award based on the creative and technical use of brick in meeting the aesthetic and functional needs of the building’s occupants. The December 2007 issue of Architectural Record goes on to say, “The building also incorporates a number of sustainable design elements including recycled and green-sourced building materials without the cost premiums normally associated with green design.”