Editing Berwyn, Illinois (section)

== Arts and culture ==
Berwyn now has a growing arts community with a professional equity theater, an Arts Council and music and entertainment venues. The 16th Street Theater producing live events opened in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://16thstreettheater.org/about/mission-history-awards/|title=16th Street Theater: About Us|website=16th Street Theater}}</ref> It was named "Best Emerging Theater Company" by Chicago magazine in 2013.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/August-2013/Best-Emerging-Theatre-Company/|title=Best Emerging Theater Company|date=July 16, 2013|work=Chicago magazine}}</ref>

=== Annual events ===
From the 1920s to the 1970s, Berwyn had a large [[Czech American|Czecho]][[Slovak American|slovak]] population, and to celebrate their heritage the Houby Day Parade was organized in 1968.  The parade continues to today, and it coincides with the fall [[mushroom]] harvest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.everfest.com/e/houby-day-festival-parade-cicero-il|title=Houby Day Festival & Parade|work=Everfest.com}}</ref>

Ogden Avenue is part of the "Historic [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]]" in Berwyn, and an annual Vintage Car Show has taken place in the city every year in early September since 1990. Ogden Avenue is closed to traffic from Ridgeland to Oak Park Avenue, and hundreds of car enthusiasts come out to celebrate the spirit of Route 66. In 2006,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Berwyn+Arts+Council+Launches+First+Annual+Cartopia+Event.-a0146115080|title=Berwyn Arts Council Launches First Annual Cartopia Event.|date=May 23, 2006|work=2006 PR Newswire Association LLC|publisher=2006 PR Newswire Association LLC}}</ref> Berwyn began to host its annual art car parade called Cartopia. Art car artists from all over the country meet to show off their latest creations and then parade through the neighborhood.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many [[Italians in Chicago|Italian families]] moved into Berwyn. The Maria SS Lauretana Italian-Sicilian Religious Festival was held on the grounds of Morton West High School during Labor Day weekend until 2014.

Since the year 2000, Berwyn has held an Oktoberfest and Brew Fest around mid to late-September; the festivals are held at the tracks on Berwyn Station and Proska Park respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mysuburbanlife.com/2018/09/11/berwyn-to-celebrate-oktoberfest-in-depot-district/ak78wl8/|title=Berwyn to celebrate Oktoberfest in Depot District|last=BARROWSEmail|first=AIMEE|website=www.mysuburbanlife.com|language=en|access-date=2019-12-04}}</ref>

=== Public art ===
Berwyn was notable for the sculpture ''[[Spindle (sculpture)|Spindle]]'', created by artist [[Dustin Shuler]] and located in the Cermak Plaza shopping center along with other works of art. The Spindle was shown in the 1992 film ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''. It was demolished and scrapped on the night of May 2, 2008 to make way for a new [[Walgreens]]. Grassroots efforts to Save the Spindle failed to raise the $300,000+ that it would have taken to dismantle and relocate it.  This was a major upset among supporters of the sculpture, considering that it did not encroach upon the new Walgreens' final location. The two topmost cars were placed in storage; {{as of|2012|lc=on}} the [[Berwyn Route 66 Museum]] on [[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|Ogden Avenue]] proposes to incorporate them into a reconstruction of the Spindle.

Beginning 2019, the city has cooperated with a non-profit known as the Berwyn Public Art Initiative to provide opportunities for independent artists to create public art throughout the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our Work |url=https://www.berwynpublicartinitiative.org/who-we-are |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=Berwyn Public Art Initiative |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Film and television ===
Portions of the 2008 film ''[[Wanted (2008 film)|Wanted]]'' with [[Angelina Jolie]] were filmed at Cermak Plaza.  Segments of the films ''[[A League of Their Own]]'', ''[[The Color of Money]]'', and ''[[Adventures in Babysitting]]'' were filmed at FitzGerald's Nightclub in Berwyn.

Berwyn is mentioned frequently as a running gag on the Chicago television series ''[[Svengoolie]]'', using a voice clip of multiple people shouting, "Berwyn?!" This is often complimented by jokes poking fun at the town's historically Central European heritage, or digs at the local culture of Berwyn. These jokes continued in another [[Rich Koz]] project, ''The Koz Zone''.

In the 2023 film [[Late Night with the Devil|Late Night With The Devil]], Berwyn is referenced as a nod to Svengoolie.

Berwyn has also been used as the backdrop for multiple television productions, such as shows in the [[Dick Wolf]] [[Chicago (franchise)|''Chicago'' franchise]], ''[[The Chi]]'', and ''[[Empire (2015 TV series)|Empire]]''.