El Paseo Community Garden

10/27/2026

Stop by El Paseo Community Garden for some trick or treating on Halloween Day Saturday from 3-5 pm hosted by buildOn teens!

10/27/2026

Please join the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) Chicago Department of Transportation(CDOT) and the ward offices of Alderpeople Michael D. Rodriguez (Michael Rodriguez | 22nd Ward Ward 22), Monique Scott (Alderwoman Monique L. Scott Ward 24), and Alderman Byron Sigcho-López for the final Public Open House for the BNSF Right-Of-Way Improvements Project Framework Plan in Little Village.

The purpose of this project is to share potential infrastructure improvements along two segments of the the abandoned Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railway right-of-way:

Pilsen: 16th Street & Sangamon Street to Cermak Road & Laflin Street

Little Village: 26th Street & Western Avenue to 32nd Street & Central Park Avenue

OPEN HOUSE PUBLIC MEETING

Tuesday, November 17th, 2026
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Rauner Family YMCA Rauner Family YMCA
2700 S Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608

This meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. Anyone needing special assistance should contact David Hart.

Refreshments will be served.

Meeting Purpose
-Share an overview of the project
-Share potential infrastructure improvements
-Gather feedback on potential design of identified opportunity areas

Interested parties can attend anytime between 6:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Exhibits will be on display and project team members will be present to discuss the project and answer questions.

To learn more about the project or to complete the Community Context Survey, click link in bio.

10/23/2026

✅ 1️⃣Phase 1 construction of our North Lawn complete. Note the new 📚 library location 👀

2️⃣ 🐾next will be the dog run fence and front Cullerton fence hopefully complete by the end of November . Please keep dogs leashed until dog run is ready. 🦮

Concrete bin blocks will have cedar decking in the future and mural facades which provide fun seating and will have a triangular shade sail. Water bowl will be installed next year in conjunction with nature play water feature.

💧🚰 we will also get a new water service and drinking fountain installed by the fitness equipment before the end of the year. 👀 Note a wood stake in the area marking that location.

3️⃣💪🏾🏋🏽‍♂️orangebars_southside_team will be update the fitness bars through next year.

🪵👧🏽🧒🏾 Nature Play will be developed next Spring/ Summer with its own fence. Big features include a tunnel, mounds, water play, climbers, etc.

4️⃣ wondering what the big log columns and round area is? We are holding that place for a future stage/ Pavillion in partnership with Pilsen Latina Legacies monuments project. We will be activating that space with cultural programming and installations with our partners until the final build is possible.

Thank you NeighborSpace Christy Webber & Company for completing this first phase with us.

This land is owned by the non-profit Landtrust NeighborSpace and maintained and managed by volunteers and stewards at El Paseo Community Garden , your neighbors and fellow community members. Get involved by volunteering with us on Sundays 10-1.

Thanks to Alderman Byron Sigcho-López for supporting our funding !

10/19/2026

¡Gracias a todas las personas que nos acompañaron en el 17.º Festival Anual de la Cosecha de El Paseo Community Garden! 🌱
Agradecemos a todas las personas que vinieron, apoyaron a los vendedores locales, disfrutaron de la música y las actividades, y compartieron parte de su día con nosotros. ¡Aquí les compartimos algunas fotos del evento!

También nos gustaría conocer su experiencia. ¿Qué disfrutaron? ¿Qué podríamos mejorar para la próxima vez?

Tómense unos minutos para completar nuestra encuesta sobre el Festival de la Cosecha en el código QR. Sus comentarios nos ayudarán a planear futuros eventos.

¡Gracias por ser parte del Festival de la Cosecha!

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for El Paseo Community Garden’s 17th Annual Harvest Fest! 🌱

We’re grateful to everyone who came out, supported local vendors, enjoyed the music and activities, and spent part of their day with us. Here are a few photos from the event!

We’d also love to hear about your experience. What did you enjoy? What could we improve for next time?

Take a few minutes to fill out our Harvest Fest feedback survey at the QR code. Your feedback will help us plan future events.
Thanks for being part of Harvest Fest!

Photos by Alex Bingham

10/18/2026

Ven a recoger flores de cempasúchil y flores de terciopelo en nuestra última sesión de recolección U-Pick el domingo 25 de octubre, de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m.

Nuestro puesto también está abierto hoy hasta las 2!

Precios flexibles: de $1 a $2 por tallo, o de $3 a $4 por las flores de terciopelo.

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Come get your cempasúchil/marigold and terciopelo/celosia at our last U-Pick on Sunday October 25, 10-2pm.

Our stand is also open today until 2!

Sliding scale from $1-2/stem or $3-4 for terciopelo

10/12/2026

North Lawn Expansion

10/12 UPDATES: Construction began today! As promised, phase 1 construction began right after Harvest Fest. This phase includes laying the path, installing a water service, earthwork, fencing, preliminary nature play elements. Weather permitting, we hope to complete this phase by end of November. Community Engagement Process At the end of this summer we shared results from the community engagement process facilitated with Borderless Studio and NeighborSpace, made possible with aldermanic support and city funding (Open Space Impact Fees – OSIF). We shared information during our Market, with the Pilsen Latina Legacies engagements, and Harvest Fest. We also posted information on-sight. View the Final Report

10/12 UPDATES: Construction began today! As promised, phase 1 construction began right after Harvest Fest. This phase includes laying the path, installing a water service, earthwork, fencing, preli…

10/10/2026

💛 September Herbalism Series Recap: Community Care with Freedom Fighter Herbs

What does it look like to slow down, soften, and allow ourselves to receive care, especially when so much of our lives and organizing asks us to constantly give, respond, and keep going?

For our September Ancestral Intelligence: Technologies of the Earth gathering, we welcomed Freedom Fighter Herbs to explore herbalism as a practice of collective care, nourishment, and moving at the pace of our bodies.

Building on Aug’s heart-opening rose medicine, this gathering invited us to practice something that can feel surprisingly difficult: allowing ourselves to be cared for.
The FFH team embodied that invitation beautifully.

From sharing the principles guiding their abolitionist herbal mutual aid work to preparing herbal salt blends, heating water, tending foot baths, and cleaning/resetting stations so everyone could receive medicine, every detail reflected such intentionality, generosity, and love.

For many, it was their first herbal foot soak. As folks settled in, we offered a sound bath to invite more ease, softness, and presence. FFH even brought their own herbal medicines for our community to sample and take home, extending that care beyond our gathering.

And none of it happened alone. Our El Paseo stewardship team jumped in to tend the fire, harvest fresh herbs, and help bring everything together.

This was collective care in action. From the plants and fire to the water, sound, and many hands tending to one another, there was so much sweetness and magic in making space to give and receive.

A huge thank you to FFH for the generosity, wisdom, and medicine you shared. Your work reminds us that responding to urgent needs and honoring the slower rhythms of our bodies are both necessary to sustain ourselves, our communities, and our movements for liberation.

Tomorrow is bittersweet as we gather for our final herbalism workshop of the season at El Paseo’s Harvest Fest! Check out our previous post for details and come visit our table.

As harvest season closes, we’re excited for the seeds we’ve planted together and all that is still to grow 🌿

10/08/2026

Harvest Fest after-party this Saturday 🌾🍂

The daytime festival is just the beginning—let’s keep the celebration going! Stay right in the garden as the sun sets for a vibrant evening party honoring our community, growth, and partnerships.

* When: Saturday, October 10th, 5 PM to 8 PM

* Where: 944 W. 21st Street

* Food & Drinks: INDGO MRKTO and Alulu Brewery

* Music: DJ set by Saint Valentin

* Details: Sliding scale starting at $10 (21+; entry includes a meal ticket and a drink ticket)

10/08/2026

Harvest Fest is this Saturday! 🌾🐝✨

Our favorite tradition at El Paseo Community Garden is back for our 17th Annual Harvest Fest! Every year, this festival brings together so much of what makes our neighborhood special—good neighbors, incredible local artists, music, and the garden in full autumn color. We’d love to see you there!

📍 El Paseo Community Garden (944 W. 21st St / 947 W. Cullerton St)

🗓 Saturday, October 10th
🎟 Free & open to everyone!

📅 SEE OUR UPDATED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Lawn Stage:

* 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Music by Tierra Roja

* 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Music by Vivian Garcia

* 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Pilsen Latina Legacies Project

* 2:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Presentation & Awards with El Paseo Leadership

* 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM | Music by Codigo Verde

Mural Area Activities:

* 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Community Yoga with Jessica L.
* 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Sound Healing Meditation with Papalotzin Healing Collective
* 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Kid’s Yoga with Ms. Janeth
* 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Community Danza Ceremony with Xinachtli Xochikalli Kalpulli

Workshops:

* 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Tortilla Making & Cooking Demo with Xinachtli Xochikalli Kalpulli (Market Area)�
* 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Chair Yoga for Seniors with Latino Outdoors (Main Picnic Area)�
* 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM | Food Forest & Herbalism Tour + Tea Tasting with Fuego Libre & Cristian N. (Market Area)�
All-Day Partner Tents (11:00 AM – 4:30 PM):

* Art-making, story gathering & photo portraits by Diana Solis with Pilsen Latina Legacies
* Block-printed event totes with Pilsen Arts & Community House
* Pumpkin patch with Latino Outdoors (until supplies last)�
* Popcorn, resources & more with Windy City Toolbank
* Activities with Shedd Aquarium (11:00 AM – 3:00 PM)�
* Print-making with Clean Water Futures (11:00 AM – 1:00 PM)�
* Face painting & activities with Build-On (12:00 PM – 3:00 PM)�

👉 RSVP and sign up for workshops at the link in our bio! (www.elpaseogarden.org)

Swipe through for the map, vendor lineup, and merch details!

10/06/2026

🌱 RAÍCES RISING: 17th Annual Harvest Festival at El Paseo Community Garden! 🍂✨

Join us on Saturday, October 10th (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM) as we honor the partnerships, volunteers, growers, and community accomplishments that made this season unforgettable!

Swipe through the carousel to check out our full schedule of music performances, wellness workshops, and official festival merch! 📲

📍 Location: 947 W. Cullerton St (Main Entrance) / 944 W. 21st St

🎟️ Admission: Free & open to all ages! RSVP for workshops. Link in bio 🔗

📅 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

🎶 Lawn Stage Performances:

* 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Music by Tierra Roja 

* 12:00 PM | Raffle & Announcements 

* 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Music by Vivian Garcia 

* 1:30 PM | Raffle & Announcements 

* 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Music by Codigo Verde 

* 3:00 PM | Raffle & Announcements 

* 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM | Presentation & Awards with El Paseo Leadership 

🧘 Mural Area Activities:

* 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM | Community Yoga with Jessica L. 

* 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM | Sound Healing Meditation with Papalotzin Healing Collective 

* 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Kid’s Yoga with Ms. Janeth 

* 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Community Danza Ceremony with Xinachtli Xochikalli Kalpulli 

🌮 Main Picnic Area Workshops:

* 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | Tortilla Making with Xinachtli Xochikalli Kalpulli 

* 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Chair Yoga for Seniors with Latino Outdoors 

🛍️ Market Area Workshops:

* 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM | Cooking Demo with Veggie Mijas & Amor y Sofrito 

* 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM | Food Forest & Herbalism Tour with Fuego Libre & Cristian N. (includes Tea Tasting) 

👕 Official Festival Merch: Buy a pre-made Raíces Rising t-shirt or tote, or custom make your own tote with Pilsen Arts & Community House (PACH) right at the fest!

See you in the garden! 🌻🌿