A $58 million mixed-use development, known as United Yards, will include retail, a health clinic, brew pub and affordable housing. (WTTW News)

Chicago’s Invest South/West project is underway in the Back of the Yards. A $58 million mixed-use development, known as United Yards, will include retail, a health clinic, brew pub and affordable housing.

Performance of “Anywhere.” (©Vincent Beaume)

Puppets, a winter market, Disney on Ice and special menus usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Courtesy of Special Events Management)

Street fests, live music, craft brews and beach season usher in the weekend. Here are 12 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

(Courtesy of Navy Pier)

A carnivale celebration, polar plunge, neighborhood photographs and concerts usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

(WTTW News)

High-flying skiers, ice sculptures, sledding hills and one-act plays usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

(Courtesy of Navy Pier)

Jack-o’-lanterns, papermaking, a “Frankenstein”-inspired play and a Halloween-themed run usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Rick Majewski / GoPride.com / Northalsted)

A pride celebration, neon lights, fairy houses and talented teens usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

(Credit: Special Events Management)

German beers and brats, live jazz, a freestyle dance contest and a boozy art show usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Silver carp jumping into a boat. (Evan Garcia / Chicago Tonight)

Asian carp, jam bands, a garden walk and vintage finds usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Courtesy Neon Summer)

Patriotic tunes, DJs, outdoor go-karts, a plant swap and summer workouts usher in the holiday weekend. Here are a dozen things to do in and around Chicago.

(Marcelo Ikeda Tchelão / Pixabay)

Sudsy brews, street art, superheroes and Juneteenth celebrations. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(WTTW News)

In neighborhoods like La Villita and Back of the Yards, outreach workers are taking a ground-up approach to registering residents for vaccinations by meeting them in grocery stores and taquerias, and through texts and social media.

Star Farm has purchased the building at 5256 S. Ashland Ave., with plans to transform it into a local foods co-op. (Background image: Star Farm; inset: Google Streetview)
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Like a lot of urban growers, Stephanie Dunn of Star Farm sells her produce at farmers markets around Chicago. Now she’s about to start up a different kind of farmer’s market: her own food co-op housed in a building she is preparing to renovate thanks to a grant from the Neighborhood Opportunity Fund.

Volunteers at Star Farm pack bags of fresh produce, purchased from small farms, to be delivered for free to South Side residents through the Market Box program. (Davon Clark)

Each week, 200 South Side households receive a free delivery of fresh produce, thanks to a collaboration between Star Farm and Experimental Station. To keep the program running through October, organizers need to raise $20,000.

The Plant used to be Peer Foods, a meat processing facility. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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Chicago Vegan Test Kitchen has found a new home for its farmers market — Vegan Paradise — at Bubbly Dynamics’ The Plant, a former meat processing facility in Back of the Yards.  

The Southwest Side neighborhood has been hit hard by COVID-19 and saw some looting last week. As part of our series, we speak with business owners and community leaders about the path forward.