CHICAGO ( January 29, 2018 ): Over 40 Andersonville businesses warm the neighborhood this February with two events meant to draw shoppers and visitors of all kinds.
First up, the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce ( ACC ) will organize the first indoor Winter Sidewalk Sale weekend in conjunction with their February First Friday series, February 2-4. This event will be followed the next weekend by the return of last year's popular Valentine's Day give back campaign, "With Love From Andersonville" ( February 9-14 ) in which businesses donate 14% of sales during the event to a non-profit of their choice.
"Andersonville's Summer Sidewalk Sale, typically held in July, is such a long time favorite that we wanted to offer a similar event during the winter months when the cold typically keeps people indoors," said ACC's Executive Director Sara Dinges. "This upcoming weekend will mark our first indoor Sidewalk Sale, and we hope that visitors and regulars come to not only shop great sales, but enjoy the experience of a walkable, vibrant, local business district such as Andersonville."
Once such unique experience will be offered by the Swedish American Museum ( 5211 N. Clark ). On First Friday ( February 2 ), the museum will feature a live Q&A session with their curator Keith Ulrich from 9AM-4PM. Participants are invited to submit questions about the museum's curation process in advance via the museum's Facebook or Twitter. Additionally, Foursided ( 5061 N. Clark ) will discount display and furniture pieces from the shop during the Winter Sidewalk Sale, Alamo Shoes ( 5321 N. Clark ) will offer big discounts on brands, Murray and White ( 5416 N. Clark ) will feature 20-50% off items store wide, and Transit Tees ( 5226 N. Clark ) will entice shoppers with their bargain bin for $5-$14 finds.
The full list of Winter Sidewalk Sale participants can be viewed online, and additional information will continue to be updated.
Last year, "With Love from Andersonville" was launched with the support of Hallie Borden, owner of Milk Handmade ( 5137 N. Clark ) in an effort to join together as a business community to give back to non-profits on both a local and national level. This year's beneficiaries include Swedish Covenant Hospital, Barrel of Monkeys, Chicago Women's Health Center, the Anti-Cruelty Society and the Transformative Justice Law Project, among many others.
"In our current political climate, there's an increased need to support organizations whose missions are under threat," said Borden. "Instead of dividing Milk's donation between so many deserving non-profits, I decided to reach out to the neighborhood to see how we could multiply the effect."
Visitors to Andersonville from February 9-14 should look for door signs with the "With Love from Andersonville" logo, which will indicate which non-profit the business will be donating 14% of their sales to and on which specific days the donation will take place. Hours will vary by business. The event allows customers to take an active role in supporting not only a small business or restaurant in the community, but also an organization they stand behind.
The full list of "With Love From Andersonville" participants can be viewed oat the link: www.andersonville.org/events-2/with-love-from-andersonville-valentines-day-weekend-fundraiser/ , and additional information will continue to be updated .
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.
