Black Friday Alternative: #OptOutside In The 'Burbs

WESTERN SUBURBS, IL — Three years ago, REI made waves with its anti-Black-Friday #OptOutside campaign. The national co-op outdoor retailer closes its doors the day after Thanksgiving and pays its employees (200 in Illinois) to enjoy a day off outside, allowing them to avoid the chaos of the early-morning retail free-for-all.

Of course, there are undeniably good deals to be had. But there are plenty of memories that can come from an unplugged experience outdoors with loved ones. Other retailers have joined the bandwagon, like Subaru and Google. The Cook County Forest Preserve even extended an invite to REI employees and the public to join them Nov. 24.

Although the #OptOutside movement hasn't fully caught on in the suburbs, there are plenty of folks on board.If ditching the post-Thanksgiving mega sales sounds appealing to you, read on.

• A group of local outdoor enthusiasts is meeting at 10 a.m. for a 3 or 5 mile hike at Greene Valley Forest Preserve
• Rocktown Adventures is hosting a free morning stroll through the woods at Red Oak Nature Center. Register for the free hike here, or shoot an email to info@rocktownadventures.com.
• Starved Rock State Park, Illinois’ No. 1 attraction, and is offering a 4.5 mile guided hike with lunch from 11 - 2:30 p.m. for $18. Later that night from 8 - 11, Mark Lorden will play alt-rock in the back door lounge.
• Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago will be giving a free tour every hour that will offer a glimpse at 1890s farm life.
• The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is the closest national park to the city of Chicago, and will host an #OptOutside hike on Nov. 24 from 1-3 p.m. at West Beach.

For more outdoor inspiration, REI also launched its own search engine this year by providing photos users can click to find more information about the location they see. For example, trail info, and expert advice from REI staff.

Did we miss your event? Email the author at Caitlin.Ketel@patch.com to have yours included.

Photo courtesy of Caitlin Ketel