LAKEVIEW — Lakeview leaders are looking for ideas for community events and are offering money to make them happen.
Lakeview Special Service Area 27 opened applications for its 2022 grant program, which offers up to $5,000 in assistance for unique events and public programs for the area.
“We’re looking for a variety of programs, which could be kid-friendly, dog-friendly, arts-related or sports-related, as an example,” said Carisa Marconet, events and marketing director for the Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce, which is the service provider for the special service area. “We’re hoping each event we provide a grant to will be different.”
Last year, the special service area gave out grants supporting 11 programs, including a Harry Potter-themed street festival, Chicago Family Bike Fest and Ikebana Walk, which celebrated the Japanese art of flower arranging.
“Also in the past, we’ve had a pop-up used book sale and a cool program called Sonic Walkabout, where they created a self-guided audio walking tour for people to visit different historical or cultural sites within Lakeview and hear interviews from people involved with those locations,” Marconet said.
People with ideas for this year’s programs can apply for up to $5,000 for their project by filling out a form on the chamber’s website. Recipients will be chosen by the special service area group’s Board of Commissioners.
All programs must take place between May 1 and the end of the year within the special service area boundaries:
- Belmont Avenue from Ravenswood to Racine.
- Lincoln Avenue from Addison to Diversey.
- Ashland Avenue from Addison to Diversey.
- Southport Avenue from Byron to Belmont.
Events must also take place in an outdoor public space or involve multiple local partners if happening indoors, according to the chamber.
Applicants are encouraged to use public spaces that are already managed by Special Service Area 27, including the Southport, Paulina and Ashland plazas of the Lakeview Low-Line, a space underneath the elevated CTA tracks that has been transformed with pathways, murals, seating and other landscaping.
“This is a great opportunity to bring different types of events and organizations to the neighborhood residents and businesses,” Marconet said. “It’s also wonderful because these events bring more traffic to our commercial corridors, bringing exposure to the businesses within our community.”
Jake Wittich is a Report for America corps member covering Lakeview, Lincoln Park and LGBTQ communities across the city for Block Club Chicago.
Listen to “It’s All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast” here: