Or caskets, at least.
Forest Parkers turned out in droves with their ride-or-dies in the annual Casket Races, the zany way the village nods to its 800,000 people buried in local cemeteries and honors its local businesses. It draws at least 1,000 spectators each year.
Check out the Cheese Balls, Barbie and Disney villains and you’ll see why.
Photos by Todd Bannor and Igor Studenkov
The Teletubby team at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Credit: Igor Studenkov/Staff Reporter 
Team of Disney villains at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Bulldog Crossfit team at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Chicago Ghouls team at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Grand Appliance team at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
The Adams Family team at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Team with the largest casket at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Vicki Scaman, Village President of Oak Park, and Rory Hoskins, Village President of Forest Park at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
School District 91 team wins their heat at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Grand Appliance team wins their heat at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
Forest Park Police team wins their heat at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor 
A close heat at the Forest Park Casket Race on Saturday October 21, 2023 | Todd Bannor
The fastest teams are, well, the fastest, but not exactly the winners. There’s a special category for that. But there seems to be no surprises among the teams that hit the finish line first.
4. Forest Park Public Works at
19:41 minutes
3. Park District at 19:03 minutes
2. Forest Park Police at 18:67 minutes
1. Bulldog Crossfit at 18:61 minutes.
And for the moment all have been waiting for: the “winners.”
Funniest
Supermarket Sweep – Sweeping the Competition
Creepiest
Ian Pfaff’s Dead Last
Best House Party
Bethany De Casper’s on Beloit
Dead Last
It’s so good to be Bad (the Disney villans)
Participating teams include
It’s So Good to be Bad
Smoothie King on Lake St
Supermarket Sweep- Sweeping the Competition
Forest Park School District 91
Park District of Forest Park
Bulldog Bootcamp & Crossfit
Forest Park Library
Graveyard Grand Masters (Grand Appliance)
Team Wednesday (Riveredge Hospital)
Forest Park Police Department
The Helletubbies
The Deadlifters
Out a Time (Back to the Future)
Alma Arts Language Music Academy
Cut to the Chase
Ian Pfaff Dead Last
Venture Paving
Forest Park Public Works
Parkway Dispensary
