CHICAGO (April 8, 2022) — The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce (ACC) celebrates all things Spring during Andersonville in Bloom, a month-long celebration featuring Earth Month and Spring-inspired events, plus seasonal promotions throughout the neighborhood's retail and dining corridor.
Earth Month Events
Learn more about Andersonville's newest sustainability initiative, Dine Out with Encora, at an informal meet-and-greet on Tuesday, April 12 from 5:30 pm — 7 pm at Hester, 5238 N. Clark St. Encora provides local businesses with durable, reusable take-out containers that can be reused over 1,200 times and easily returned just like a DVD rental box.
Shop for a cause at The Buffalo Exchange Earth Day $1 Sale on Saturday, April 23 with a special selection of clothing and accessories for just $1 apiece. All proceeds benefit Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit working to protect pollinators. Cash only!
The Blume Group hosts their annual Shred Event on Saturday, April 23 from 1:30 — 4:30 pm at the 5300 block of N. Wayne. Bring your tax documents and any other confidential documents you need shredded. No binders or notebooks.
More Blooming Fun
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce hosts the family-friendly Oh Gnome! Scavenger Hunt all month long! Blomma the Gnome is lost in Andersonville and needs your help to get home! Look for letters (there are ten total) on select Blommas hiding throughout the business district, then decode the word scramble for a prize. For a checklist of hiding spots and an entry form, click here.
Dispensary 33's Waldos Forever Fest returns after a two-year hiatus on Saturday, April 23 from 10 am — 9 pm at Clark & Argyle. Cannabis enthusiasts and novices alike are invited to enjoy the day-long outdoor festival featuring live music, drag performances, local eats, cannabis-forward vendors and immersive activations. Headliners include Junglepussy, Sudan Archives, Shea Couleè, Jessy Lanza, Glitter Moneyyy, Trqpiteca and more. Admission is free for individuals 21+. Please note: cannabis consumption is not permitted at the fest.
Rattleback Records celebrates Record Store Day on Saturday, April 23 from 9 am — 7 pm, a worldwide celebration of independent record stores. It's a one-time opportunity to grab limited editions, rarities and special releases only available during this event.
Women and Children First and Uncharted Books celebrate national Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday, April 30. WCF is offering promotions and IBD merch, a virtual event with best-selling novelist George Saunders (11 am), a pop-up bake shop from Sugar Realm Bakery (1 — 4 pm), a cocoa and bookmark stand (11 am) with proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders in Ukraine and a meet-and-greet with the owners of The Understudy (3 pm), a new theater-themed café and bookshop coming to Andersonville this summer.
WCF and Uncharted are also among nearly 40 indie bookstores in the greater Chicago area collaborating on this year's Chicagoland Bookstore Crawl, encouraging book lovers to indulge in bookstore tourism by visiting as many stores as possible in a single day. Take the #ChiLoveBooks Challenge: visit 10 or 15 stores in one day and receive a discount at all participating stores for an entire year. For more information, visit WCF's Independent Bookstore Day page.
The City of Chicago has designated 2022 as the "Year of Chicago Dance," so ACC is celebrating with Let's Dance!, an outdoor dance party on Saturday, April 30 from 11 am — 4 pm on Catalpa between Clark & Ashland. Enjoy a half-day of free music, performances, dance instruction, photo opportunities and a community fair that's open to all dance enthusiasts. ACC is currently doing an open call for dancers. The sign-up form is available here.
Spring-Themed Promotions
Dozens of Andersonville retailers, restaurants and bars are celebrating spring with special promotions and new menu items. Tickle your tastebuds with a farm-to-table 7-course dinner, hosted by The Dinner Belle and Buckwild Babes (April 18), City Olive's new harvest "green" extra virgin olive oils and the vegan-friendly Portobello Mushroom Sandwich at Land & Lake Andersonville.
Raise a glass to the warm weather at Uvae Kitchen & Wine Bar's April Wine Dinner or sample the spring cocktail menus at Boca Loca Cantina (Agave Horchata Martini, Hibiscus Mezcal Margarita), Elixir (Matcha, Match, Man, Pamplemousse Spritz) and Replay Andersonville (Electric Watermelon, This Sh*t is Bananas).
Spruce up your wardrobe with new collections at Dearborn Denim & Apparel and Sandbox Baby Boutique, plus discount bags, backpacks and apparel at Chicatolia. Get in shape for summer with spring discounts at Be Yoga, Cheetah Gym and Yoga Tree. Or just chill out at CBD Kratom's Buy 2, Get One Free Sale (April 14 — 20).
For more details and a full list of local promotions, visit the Andersonville in Bloom page: andersonville.org/events/andersonville-in-bloom/ .
About the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce
The Andersonville Chamber of Commerce fosters a vibrant environment in which Andersonville businesses can thrive by attracting a diverse customer base; providing business support services and advocacy; and engaging in business attraction, long-range planning, and economic development.
