How to Win $250

It’s an initiative supported by the Village of Oak Park to encourage residents of Oak Park and neighboring communities to ‘support local’ business by riding their bicycles to Hemingway District stores and restaurants in the Oak Park Avenue construction corridor. The promotion is designed to support local merchants during the remaining months of construction while promoting healthy, sustainable transportation.

Bike to the Biz begins July 1 and ends Oct. 31, 2026.

The promotion has several components:

• increased bike parking in immediately adjacent areas,

• monthly drawings for $250 that can be spent at local stores and eateries, and

• informative signage throughout the construction zone to build local awareness.

Summer is an ideal time to encourage both health and wellness activities and healthy economic participation. The promotion reminds customers to help their local businesses to survive and thrive throughout the construction period.

While construction has reached the halfway point (Stage 3 of 5) as of July 1, there are still five more months of work – with Oak Park Avenue closed from Pleasant to Lake streets – before it reopens just before Thanksgiving.

Yes! The District already offers racks and dedicated locations to park for more than 150 bikes, including covered bike parking within the Avenue Garage. The Village is adding new bike ‘corrals’ like the one near Scoville Park to boost total bike spaces to 200 during the promotion.

One caveat: Bikers need to park their bikes and walk to businesses along Oak Park Avenue. With sidewalk-access-only to many businesses, bikes can’t be ridden through the district or directly to stores.

By biking to shop or dine at District businesses. The promotion also welcomes walkers, joggers and even folks who drive. (Free parking – up to 90 minutes every day and all day on Sundays is available at the Avenue Garage, 720 North Boulevard).

The Hemingway District expects to enlist more than 25 stores and restaurants. This page will keep the complete list of participating businesses. Check back to see any new additions in months to come.

In addition to the Hemingway District businesses, three Oak Park bike shops will participate in Bike to the Biz: Wheel & Sprocket, Bikefix and Barnard’s Schwinn Cycling.

Customers ride their bicycles to participating District businesses, make a minimum $10 purchase, and save their receipts. Convenient envelopes for saving receipts are available at all participating businesses. Once they make $10 purchases at four different participating retailers (this can include the three bike shops), they can drop off envelopes seven days a week at the UPS Store at 805 Lake St.

A single winner will be drawn and announced every month for four months, starting Aug. 1. The winner will receive $250 in ‘Biker Buck’ certificates that they can spend at participating District businesses – as well as at three Oak Park bike shops – through Dec. 31, 2026.

Yes. We’re encouraging people to head downtown and support the District any way they can and as often as they like.