The pandemic put 26th Street’s annual Villapalooza music festival on hold for a few years — but on Saturday, it’s back with more space than ever for young local artists to showcase their community and culture.
Little Village
Many Chicagoans were shocked by retail giant Walmart’s announcement that it’s closing four stores this weekend — fully half of its locations in the city.
Walmart says it is cutting its losses in the Chicago market, announcing Tuesday it will close four of its eight stores in the city by April 16.
Little Village is on high alert as two young women have been found dead there in recent weeks. And now with a reported disappearance, 15-year-old Azreya Lomeli, who was last seen walking in Little Village, community members are increasing calls for action from the police.
For the last two years, Discount Mall has been in the middle of a battle between its vendors and property owner Novak Development. Now, half of the mall’s vendors have until the end of this month to pack up and leave.
Improvements to the mall are planned, including new roofs and facades, parking lot resurfacing, new landscaping, new lighting and an underground storm water detention system.
Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th Ward) recently hosted a meeting Tuesday with vendors to reassure them he will be fighting to keep the retail hub open. Novak Construction, the mall’s owner, extended vendors’ leases until the end of March.
It's been one year since 8-year-old Melissa Ortega was shot to death in Little Village. The community is honoring her memory with a mural and peace tree.
Vendors have rallied in front of the Chicago Police Department headquarters, asking for more police presence in the morning, when many vendors are out as early as 4 a.m.
One by one, street vendors recently walked into Chicago Police Department headquarters. They were on a mission to get help following recent robberies of street vendors along 26th Street.
In Mexico, one or two days just aren’t enough to celebrate the holiday season. There, the traditional Christmas posadas are nine days long, and the parties keep going well into the new year.
A boxing gym in the basement of a Little Village church is on a mission to provide new opportunities for neighborhood kids. Chicago Youth Boxing Club started in 2006 as a refuge for young people seeking a positive outlet.
Through the month of October, a series of events called “Journey Chicago” is taking place at cultural heritage centers across the city and suburbs.
A quinceañera is all about the details. A family-run business in Little Village has been playing a part in the quinceañeras of area girls for years.
“Crunchy outside, soft center, golden brown and delicious” – that’s how Aldo Rios, owner of El Churro Shop in Little Village, describes the perfect churro.
After worrying for months that they would be kicked out under a new owner, vendors at the shopping center have been given a short extension on their leases.
