The nonprofit Far South Community Development Corporation (Far South CDC)—an organization that provides strategic community-building services to residents and businesses across Chicago’s Far South Side neighborhoods and south suburban Cook County—is excited to announce its 2024 Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 15 from 12-4 p.m. on the northwest corner of Halsted Street and 115th Street in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood.
This free all-ages event celebrates the Juneteenth holiday by inviting Far South Side communities together for an afternoon of live music, food from local Black-owned restaurants, family activities, a resource vendor fair, housing workshops, and a small business marketplace featuring everything from beauty products to fashion. Visit farsouthcdc.org for more information and to register.
The morning of June 15, Far South CDC’s Juneteenth Housing Pavilion offers workshops for residents from 11 a.m.-Noon on the festival site. Attendees will discover how to make their current living circumstances more affordable and where to find resources (for renting or homeownership) to help accumulate wealth by attaining, maintaining and retaining property. Registration is free and includes breakfast, a housing trolley tour, and entry into pavilion raffles. To register for the Juneteenth Housing Pavilion workshops, visit farsouthcdc.org.
Juneteenth Festival activates the site of the future Morgan Park Commons mixed-use development led by Far South CDC, which is expected to begin phase one site preparations in late fall of this year. Morgan Park Commons is a 12-acre redevelopment project along the busy South Halsted commercial corridor in Morgan Park, at the site of the former Halsted Mall and Jewel grocery store. Far South CDC’s proposed development seeks to create over 250 units of rental housing with 16,000 square feet of retail/office space, 13,000 square feet of performing arts and culinary education space, and 2.3 acres of public parks and outdoor space including pedestrian pathways connecting to the historic Major Taylor Bike Trail and to area public transit.
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.
The 2024 Juneteenth Festival is presented by Far South CDC with the support of sponsors and partners including Special Service Area #45, the City of Chicago, 21st Ward Alderman Ronnie Mosley, Illinois State Senator Emil Jones III, Illinois State Representative Justin Slaughter, Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, Hope Center Foundation of Chicago, Habitat for Humanity Chicago and Phalanx Family Services.
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.