The nonprofit Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC) is proud to announce its Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 18 from 12-5 p.m. on the northwest corner of Halsted Street and 115th Street in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood—activating the site of the planned Morgan Park Commons mixed-use development project.
The event celebrates the Juneteenth holiday by inviting Far South Side communities together for an afternoon of live music and dance, food from local restaurants, family activities, a resource vendor fair, giveaways and more. Attendance is free to all, with registration required for onsite giveaways. Visit farsouthcdc.org for more information and to register.
Morgan Park Commons is a community-driven development project in Chicago’s Far South Side neighborhood of Morgan Park along the busy South Halsted Commercial Corridor. The 12-acre redevelopment of the former Jewel grocery store and Halsted Mall will provide hundreds of units of vibrant middle- and working-class housing and up to 20,000 square feet of retail space. Additionally, a new community field house and three-acre public park will link to the adjacent Major Taylor Bike Trail. The first phase of construction is planned to start in Spring 2023, consisting of 80 units of housing, ground floor spaces for mixed retail and commercial use, a new Pace Pulse terminal station, and the creation of a public park and additional plazas.
Morgan Park Commons is part of Far South CDC’s bold Bringing Communities Back Initiative to repurpose nearly 1 million square feet of blighted community areas into thriving community anchors that will spur economic growth and repopulate communities on Chicago’s Far South Side that have experienced decades of chronic disinvestment. For more information, visit farsouthcdc.org/bcbi.
Programming for Far South CDC’s Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 18 includes:
- Live music and dance performances throughout the day
- Resource vendors for residents and businesses, including IHDA, Roseland Medical District and the Cook County Assessor’s Office
- Information on the Morgan Park Commons mixed-use development project
- Small Business Pop-Up Shop
- Food from the Special Service Area 45 business district and other Black-owned businesses including Jamaican Gates, All N’ Family Shrimp Shack, Harold’s Chicken Shack #27 and Brown Sugar Bakery
- Kids’ Fun Zone provided by Chicago Moonwalks including a 75-foot obstacle course, shootout basketball bungee and bounce houses
- Trolley tour of Maple Park homes that qualify for the City of Chicago’s Micro Market Recovery Program, offering down payment assistance and other benefits
- Gift card giveaways
The 2022 Juneteenth Festival is presented by Far South CDC with the support of sponsors and partners including Special Service Area 45, City of Chicago, 34th Ward, IHDA, Roseland Medical District, Coleman Foundation, Nike Foundation, US Bank, Fifth Third Bank, Pullman Bank & Trust and JP Morgan Chase.
About Far South Community Development Corporation
Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides strategic community-building services to residents and businesses in Chicago’s Far South Side neighborhoods and across south suburban Cook County. Far South CDC is one of the largest comprehensive community development organizations in the Chicago region that provides direct residential support, business assistance, and equitable development and planning services. The organization is a voice and advocate for economic, environmental and social justice for residents and businesses in the region. For more information, visit farsouthcdc.org.
