"Finding the right next owner is a process, and we're approaching it thoughtfully," Hey Nonny co-owner Chip Brooks said in the announcement on Friday, Oct. 2. "In the meantime, we're doing what we've always done: booking outstanding musicians, welcoming audiences and creating memorable experiences."
That announcement came out the same night Harmony Fest & Taste of Arlington Heights opened downtown with free live music and food from local restaurants. The festival ended Saturday. The music club on Vail is moving in the opposite direction. Its owners are trying to sell it, and in the meantime they are adding nights, some with free entry, and changing the menu. Downtown's biggest October change is happening indoors, in a few owner-run rooms that are changing how a weeknight works on Vail and Dunton.
Two rooms, two names, more nights
Hey Nonny sits at 10 S. Vail Ave. The sale covers the business and its 4,000-square-foot first-floor space, which is technically a condominium inside the Metropolis Ballroom building. Brooks and Chris Dungan opened it as a listening room on Oct. 18, 2018. Their aim was to give the Northwest suburbs jazz, blues, country, folk, bluegrass and rock without a drive into the city. That puts the club's eighth anniversary on Sunday, Oct. 18, while the business is officially for sale.
The space is open and has bookings into spring 2027. The more immediate news for anyone planning a night out is how the room is being split up. A 24-foot-wide retractable acoustic wall has always divided the 150-person music room from the 66-seat gastropub. Each side now has its own name and its own job.
| The Venue | The Lounge | |
|---|---|---|
| What it was | The signature listening room | The 66-seat gastropub |
| Capacity | 150 people | Former dining and bar area |
| Format | Ticketed performances | Casual social space with its own stage |
| Schedule | Ticketed show calendar | Performances five nights a week |
| Cost to get in | Ticketed | Sometimes a $5 cover, sometimes free |
The kitchen is changing too. The farm-to-table bistro menu is being replaced with barbecue, ordered à la carte by QR code in either room. Until now, a visit usually meant buying a ticket for a specific show. The Lounge lets you drop in on a Wednesday for a free set and barbecue.
The first test is this Tuesday, Oct. 6. A new Social Sessions series starts at 7 p.m. with Mayor Jim Tinaglia, interviewed by Ernie Rose. Rose is managing partner of the law firm DKM&O, sits on the Downtown Arlington Heights Business Alliance board, and organizes Touchdown Arlington, the business group backing a Bears move to Arlington Heights. The pairing alone suggests the first conversation will cover more than music.
The owners have hired a Chicago firm whose past deals include FitzGerald's, the Hideout and The Green Mill. They have said they hope a buyer keeps the space as a live music venue, though it could hold other uses. "Our hope is to find someone who appreciates its importance as much as we do," Dungan said.
On Dunton, a bookstore with a calendar of its own
The other owner-run room worth your evening is two months old. Scout's Tales Bookstore opened Aug. 1 at 22 S. Dunton Ave. The Daily Herald reported that downtown hadn't had a bookstore in roughly two decades, and the last one was a used bookstore. The nearest independent shops are about 10 miles away in Barrington and Northbrook.
Owner Dana Foley taught middle school English for 25 years. The idea started during COVID, when her husband built a Little Free Library in their front yard and she curated its themed collections. Before opening day, so many people pressed against the glass that the window cleaners kept wiping handprints off the storefront.
Like Hey Nonny, Scout's Tales works on a schedule. The first book club met in August to discuss "Lady Tremaine" by Rachel Hochhauser, and children's author Stef Wade visited Aug. 9. More store-hosted book clubs and author visits began in September, and registration is required for events. The shop also runs local business incentives and cross-promotions with the Arlington Heights Memorial Library.
Once Upon A Bagel's Arlington Heights location at 36 S. Evergreen Ave. is taking online orders on its website. A Feb. 9 Daily Herald report said the shop expected to open by the end of March.
The Metropolis side of the building
Hey Nonny shares a building with the Metropolis Ballroom, so the two calendars overlap on the same block. Metropolis is running "Ride the Cyclone" through Oct. 25. For families, "The Tortoise and the Hare" runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Thursday, Oct. 22, with a sensory-friendly performance on Wednesday, Oct. 21. After that, the stage goes quiet until "The Christmas Schooner" opens Nov. 24 and runs to Jan. 3, 2027.
The last week of "Ride the Cyclone" falls the same week as Hey Nonny's anniversary. For a dinner-and-a-show night on Vail this month, you can pair either Metropolis production with barbecue next door.
Four Saturdays, in order
Weeknights in October belong to the indoor rooms. Saturdays belong to the Village and the Park District. Each Saturday from now through Halloween has something different.
- Saturday, Oct. 10. Autumn Harvest runs 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at North School Park, with free activities and food for purchase.
- Saturday, Oct. 17. This is the last farmers market of the season, 8 a.m. to noon at 110 W. Fremont St. The 2026 market started May 9. That evening is also Hey Nonny's anniversary eve, so you can be downtown for both ends of the day.
- Saturday, Oct. 24. Two events overlap that morning. The Park District's Trunk or Treat runs 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Pioneer Park, 500 S. Fernandez Ave., with more than 40 trunks, and children must be registered. The Village's Community Open House runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Public Works Facility, 222 N. Ridge Ave. A Village page from Sept. 2 lists Trunk or Treat on Oct. 25. The Park District's own 2026 listing says Saturday, Oct. 24, and that matches the calendar.
- Saturday, Oct. 31. The Village recommends trick-or-treating from 3 to 7 p.m.
What hasn't landed yet
A few things people around town may be asking about aren't confirmed.
- A downtown Halloween event. As of the Village's Sept. 2 update, no details about downtown festivities or trick-or-treating had been shared. The Downtown Arlington Heights Business Alliance events page shows no October Halloween listing either.
- Hugh's Chophouse. This steakhouse and bistro from the owner of Passero is planned for 9 N. Vail Ave. A June 2 report said it would open "this summer," and no opening has been reported since. If it opens, it would add another dinner option on Vail.
- Dutch Bros on Rand Road. This is a 2027 project. The Village approved zoning for the redevelopment at 375–425 E. Rand Road, and construction could start around early 2027. The plan also includes Menchie's Frozen Yogurt, Paris Baguette and Old National Bank. Two spaces are still unleased, and Wendy's is no longer part of the plan.
Until any of those open, the October map downtown is the Lounge's five weekly nights, The Venue's ticketed shows, Scout's Tales' registered events and the Metropolis stage, all within a short walk of Vail and Dunton.
When a downtown landmark goes up for sale, it shows how much a single address shapes a block. At Maria Devins, I follow Arlington Heights changes like this closely because they affect how people experience the village day to day. If you're curious how downtown's changes relate to your own home's value, start with your Instant Home Valuation and I'll go through it with you personally.