👋 24 Festivals, Fairs & Expos, Our Oldest Restaurant & a New Dinner Club?

Did you know one of Illinois’ oldest restaurants is right here in our corner of the suburbs?

The Village Tavern in Long Grove has been operating since 1847, making it the oldest continuously operating restaurant and tavern in Illinois.

It originally opened as the Zimmer Tavern and Wagon Shop, where travelers could stop for a meal or drink while their horses were being shod or repaired.

The building still holds plenty of history today, including a 35-foot mahogany bar salvaged from the 1967 McCormick Place fire and a grandfather clock dating back to the 1890s.

Even during Prohibition, the tavern found a way to keep going by operating as an ice cream parlor. Nearly 180 years later, it’s still serving customers in downtown Long Grove.

That’s a pretty incredible run for a local restaurant!

Give your home a fall refresh without giving up your weekend. Naturally Maid Cleaning Co. is a locally owned business with 300+ 5-star reviews, offering dependable recurring cleaning services throughout the area, plus eco-friendly options for households that prefer them.

Northwest Neighbor readers can book a 3-hour recurring clean for just $169.99 with code “NWNeighbor”, with special pricing also available on 4- and 5-hour cleans.

If your home could use a reset before the busy fall season, this is a great time to take advantage of the offer. Spots are limited, book while availability lasts.(Book Cleaning)

U.S. & World

• Arlington Heights: Plans are moving forward to redevelop the former Pep Boys site on Rand Road with a Dutch Bros drive-through and space for additional tenants. Construction could begin in early 2027.

• Buffalo Grove: The village’s new Fire Station 25 is now open at 505 W. Dundee Road. A Public Safety Open House will be held Sept. 19 from 10 AM-1 PM with station tours, touch-a-truck and family activities.

• Des Plaines: North Elementary School will hold its 14th annual Rizzo Walk Off for Cancer on Sept. 18, with students and staff raising money for the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation.

• Elgin: Police Chief Ana Lalley says Elgin is not using Flock license plate reader cameras, reassuring residents after concerns were raised about the technology and how it can be used to track vehicles.

• Elk Grove Village: The village has been named a 2025 Tree City USA community by the Arbor Day Foundation, marking its 41st consecutive year receiving the designation. Elk Grove Village currently plants about 500 trees each year.

• Mount Prospect: Skechers is now open at Randhurst Village, taking over part of the former Bed Bath & Beyond space, while Nike has signed a lease for a new 22,557-square-foot store at the shopping center.

• Palatine: Palatine Village Council voted on September 8th to approve the commercial redevelopment plan and special use permit that will replace Durty Nellie's Gastropub & Concert Hub at 180–190 N. Smith Street with Iowa-based Big Grove Brewery.

• Schaumburg: The Fire Department is supporting a series of free human trafficking & child exploitation awareness seminars Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at the Al Larson Cultural Center, with sessions for healthcare professionals, first responders & community members.

• Skokie: The village has launched a new Economic Vitality Strategy aimed at supporting local businesses, attracting investment and guiding redevelopment over the next five years. Community input will be part of the planning process.

Mount Prospect: Skechers | Skechers store at Randhurst Village | (Link)

Buffalo Grove: True Health | Sept. 17th | Healthcare practice (Link)

Crystal Lake: New American Funding | Sept. 17th | Mortgage lending office (Link)

Lake Zurich: Bricks of Hope | Sept. 17th | New nonprofit location (Link)

Lake Zurich: G&G Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics | Sept. 18th | Pediatric dentistry and orthodontics office (Link)

Carpentersville: Potbelly Sandwich Works | Sept. 17th | Sandwich shop (Link)

Mount Prospect: VASA Fitness | Sept. 19th | Fitness center (Link)

We’ve been thinking about another way to bring our Northwest Neighbor community together, this time around the dinner table.

The idea is simple: we’d organize local dinner nights around the Northwest Suburbs where you could meet a small group of fellow neighbors, try a great local restaurant and hopefully make a few new connections along the way.

You’d answer a short questionnaire beforehand to help match you with a group of people you may click with, while the restaurant reservations and other details would all be handled for you. You’d just show up, enjoy dinner and meet some new neighbors.

Before we move forward with anything, we’d love to gauge interest.

If there’s enough interest, we’ll share more details and give readers a chance to help shape how it works.

“We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” - Ronald Reagan

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