Green Night Out will teach residents ways to make better choices for the environment.

On Thursday, the NIU Outreach Program will hold an event similar to a scavenger hunt. The treasure participants will be hunting for are deals, art shows and knowledge on how to live greener.

“It starts at 5 p.m. We ask people to check in at either Eduardo’s or the Egyptian Theatre,” said Gillian King-Cargile, Outreach and Engagement communications coordinator. “They will get a green card which will be there map to the specials and activities.”

Local businesses will participate in various ways, like giving talks on ways to be more environmentally friendly, holding art exhibits and having specials on eco-friendly products.

Smalltown Skate Shop, 229 E. Lincoln Highway, will hold an art show. Employees will talk about longboarding and skateboarding. The shop will also display jewelry made out of broken skateboards, said owner Ariel Ries.

“There are limited resources,” Ries said. “Use everything you can reuse.”

Robert Deshazer, co-owner of Tapa La Luna, 226 E. Lincoln Highway, said it is important to raise awareness on things people can do for the sustainability of the environment and for future generations. Tapa La Luna employees will explain the ways they maintain a greener business.

“A lot of the films are focused on the bigger picture, but these [activities] show people some hands-on things they can do to change life now,” King-Cargile said.

O’Leary’s Restaurant and Pub, 260 E. Lincoln Highway, will have specials on eco-friendly beverages.

“For eco-friendly drinks we don’t use things like maraschino cherries that have dyes in them,” said O’Leary’s co-owner Debbie Witmer.

“People can see the small things they can do,” King-Cargile said. “It gets people to be more conscious about the decisions they make,” King-Cargile said.

Witmer said she thinks it’s great the community is coming together and getting involved to make DeKalb a better place.

“We are really looking forward to this, and it gets people out in downtown DeKalb,” King-Cargile said. “One of the ways people can help the environment be green is to shop locally, and this will help get them started.”

Deshazer said he hopes this will also encourage people to come downtown.

“The event ends at 8 p.m. If people bring their green card back to the Egyptian Theater then they will be entered in a raffle,” King-Cargile said. “8 p.m. leads up to the Best of the Fest screen filming’s prize winners from the film festival. The screening cost $5, which supports next year’s festival.”