Englewood Village Market Opens For Summer Saturday On Reclaimed Space

CHICAGO—Grow Greater Englewood’s 5th Annual Englewood Village Market opens on the Englewood Village Plaza on Saturday, June 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 5822 S. Halsted St. The opening starts with a dedication ceremony for the newly redesigned Englewood Village Plaza, a former vacant lot on the southwest corner of 58th and Halsted Streets which serves as the main entry point along the proposed Englewood Nature Trail.

“We’re proud to continue to bring the Englewood Village Market to the community. GGE and our partners are working to bring healthy and fresh food options to the neighborhood through a network of local farms and Black and Brown businesses," said Anton Seals, Jr., Lead Steward of Grow Greater Englewood. “At the same time, the market and plaza offer an open and safe space for Englewood families to gather and celebrate our culture. It serves as a reminder that we deserve beautiful spaces.”

Rep. Sonya Harper that neighbors and partners have been working for a long time to bring the Englewood Nature Trail to complement the urban agriculture activities happening along the 59th Street corridor.

“Collaborating to cultivate a healthy affordable food system and economy is what we are celebrating with our Englewood Village Markets as well as getting neighbors used to enjoying this reclaimed space,” Harper said. “I am proud to have been part of the inception and funding for this project and I look forward to continuing to enjoy it year after year.”

Hosted on select Saturdays from June through October, the Englewood Village Market connects residents with food and goods from local businesses, low-cost fresh produce (SNAP/EBT accepted), kids activities and family fun, community resources, and a rotation of featured programming. All market activities at the Plaza are rooted in Black culinary and land traditions.

Each market features local DJs and musical performances to highlight the dynamism of Chicago’s music culture. Performances at the June 22 market include a “Drums for Peace” drum circle led by the world-renowned jazz great Ernest Dawkins, and hip-hop artist and community leader Heavy Crownz (both Englewood residents).

"To see this market grow from a glass-filled lot on Halsted, to supporting local Black-owned businesses – this is what is needed in Englewood," said 16th Ward Ald. Stephanie D. Coleman. “I continue to work to bring issues of food and open green space as a conduit to the economic justice that is needed in the 16th Ward, and quite frankly across many Black wards.”

The Englewood Village Plaza’s dynamic design, in partnership with Botanical City and NeighborSpace, provides a unique opportunity for community-driven tactical urbanism and place-keeping. It serves as an innovation space for other vacant lots to advance cultural and environmental sustainability, highlighting and reflecting the rich contribution of Black culture to Chicago. The ongoing development of the Plaza is being implemented in phases.

The Englewood Village Market will be open on the following dates in 2024:

● Sat, June 22, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. (Opening Day)
● Sat, June 29, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sat, July 13, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sat, July 27, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sat, August 10, 2024 (Senior Day at the Englewood Village Market)
● Sat, August 24, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sun, September 8, 2024 (Englewood Village Market at the Chicago Urban Ag Crawl Night Bazaar)
● Sat, September 14, 2024 (Englewood Village Market at the Englewood Music Fest)
● Sat, September 21, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sat, October 5, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
● Sat, October 19, 2024: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.

Englewood Village Plaza project partners include Illinois State Rep. Sonya M. Harper, 16th Ward Alderman Stephanie D. Coleman, Botanical City and NeighborSpace.

Grow Greater Englewood thanks its Funders: Illinois State Rep. Sonya M. Harper, Builders Initiative, Food:Land:Opportunity (FLO), Margot And Thomas Pritzker Family Foundation, Kataly Foundation, Bezos Earth Fund, LISC Chicago, The Solutions Project, and MacArthur Foundation.