The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) is proud to announce the official launch of Glenwood Avenue Alfresco, part of Rogers Park’s implementations of the “Chicago Alfresco” citywide outdoor dining and community placemaking initiative. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held, joined by elected officials Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Alderwoman Maria Hadden, as well as RPBA Executive Director Sandi Price and representatives from Choose Chicago, on Saturday, June 18th at 11 a.m., at Glenwood and Morse Avenues.
As part of the initiative, the southbound side of Glenwood Avenue between Lunt and Morse is closed 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to vehicular traffic. Outdoor seating is available for nearby restaurants, and planters, lights, and furniture will be installed by the time of the ribbon-cutting. Local live music and entertainment will take place over the summer, including outdoor seating and a new jazz stage for this year’s Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest, August 19-21. Glenwood Sunday Market is returning to its home location starting June 5th. This stretch of Glenwood Avenue has a long history of semi-regular street closures for neighborhood events and festivals; the unique structure and features of Glenwood Avenue Alfresco will make it a more permanent and welcoming space for cozy arts-oriented businesses and community gatherings, and supports neighboring performing arts organizations by providing space for pop-up performances.
Price comments on what Glenwood Avenue Alfresco means for the Rogers Park community: “Glenwood Avenue has long been home to community events such as Pride North, the Glenwood Avenue Arts Festival, and the award-winning Glenwood Sunday Market, which were forced to cancel or relocate in the past 2 years due to COVID. For many adjacent bars and restaurants, the festival and market seasons are often some of their busiest days of the year. With the implementation of Glenwood Avenue Alfresco, we are excited to bring back and expand our beloved community programming, which will give a much needed boost for the local small businesses, and foster an environment where residents can socialize with their neighbors.”
Glenwood Avenue Alfresco is one of the two Alfrescos in Rogers Park, with the other being Jarvis Square Alfresco, on which more updates will be announced later this year.
Photos: Glenwood Avenue proposed site plan; new Alfresco outdoor patio on Glenwood. Courtesy of Rogers Park Business Alliance
About Alfresco in Rogers Park
The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance is one of the 15 community organizations that were selected for the first wave of programming in 2021 for Chicago Alfresco, the city’s expanded outdoor dining and cultural arts initiative. RPBA envisions a three-year street activation for both Jarvis Square and Glenwood Avenue, two diverse and culturally rich business districts in Rogers Park, to help speed up economic recovery for the small business community and revive community programming and in-person events. By partnering with hospitality businesses in the two proposed areas, RPBA works to extend outdoor dining and event spaces, as well as adding new landscaping, furnishings and design elements, signage, bike parking and ADA accessible platforms. For more information, visit rpba.org/alfresco.
Rogers Park Business Alliance (RPBA) is a nonprofit organization that has served Chicago’s diverse Rogers Park neighborhood for 29 years. RPBA works to cultivate and sustain a thriving economic environment in Rogers Park, serving businesses and residents with a variety of public events and business initiatives. RPBA programs include the GROW/PROGRESANDO entrepreneurial training program, the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Rogers Park Business Alliance, annual Best of Rogers Park awards, Chalk Howard Street Festival, Taste of Clark Street Crawl, and the Glenwood Sunday Market farmers market. For more information, visit RPBA.org.