Welcome To Hyde Park

Game Day at Ja' Grill
2025-11-01, 2025-11-08, 2025-11-15 | Ja’ Grill, 1510 E. Harper Court, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Game Day at Ja’ Grill
There’s a ton of NCAA football games this Saturday, and Ja’ Grill in Harper Court is the place to be for all-day wing and beer specials.
Visit Ja’ Grill at 1510 E. Harper Court in Hyde Park.
Check out the game schedule HERE.

The Hyde Park Kenwood Food Pantry
2025-11-01 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-08 10:00 - 13:00, 2025-11-15 10:00 - 13:00 (America/Chicago) | Hyde Park Union Church, 5600 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637
The Hyde Park Kenwood Food Pantry
The food pantry, located at Hyde Park Union Church, provides nonperishable groceries and limited refrigerated and frozen foods to 500 to 800 people every month on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm.
We serve the area of 39th – 63rd St., Cottage Grove east to Lake Michigan, and patrons can come twice a month. All will be served on their first visit, regardless of residency. If you are looking for food outside of our service area or hours, you can visit the website of the Greater Chicago Food depository to find additional services.
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Volunteers order food, unload deliveries, pre-pack bags and distribute food. ​If you would like to volunteer, please contact the Church Office or Margy Mitchell, the Food Pantry coordinator.
Time and Location
Every Saturday (including Christmas, New Year’s Day, and July 4th) from 10 am to 1 pm;
Hyde Park Union Church
5600 S. Woodlawn — enter by the side door at 1169 E. 56th St.
Chicago, IL 60637

Ja' Grill Sunday Brunch
2025-11-01 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-08 11:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-15 11:00 - 16:00 | Ja’ Grill, 1510 E. Harper Court, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Ja’ Grill Sunday Brunch
Hyde Park’s Ja’ Grill, located at 1510 E. Harper Court, began a new Sunday brunch service on Sunday, January 26.
The weekly Sunday brunch hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with all-you-can-eat options served family-style for $30 per person. Cocktail options include carafes of everyone’s favorite Ja’ Rum Punch, a Ja’ Mimosa, and Ja’ Bloody Mary.
Brunch menu items will rotate periodically, but diners can look forward to Jerk Chicken & Waffles, Ackee & Saltfish, Scrambled Eggs & Jerk Chicken Sausage, and more.
Ja’ Grill owner Tony Coates celebrated the restaurant’s 10th anniversary in August 2024, reflecting to the Hyde Park Herald, “We were well received well beyond what I would imagine. We opened the doors and, I say this without any hesitation, the Hyde Park community really embraced us and that’s why we’re open today.”
Coates commented, “Our regular customers have asked about adding a brunch menu many times, and we’re very excited to try out this new offering. Ja’ Grill is the perfect place to enjoy your Sunday morning and afternoon with our authentic Jamaican cuisine and extensive drink menu.”
Ja’ Grill is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. There’s a Tropical Happy Hour Monday through Thursday from 4-6 p.m. During NFL season fans can enjoy an Extended Happy Hour from 4 p.m. until closing time on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday. Don’t miss Wine Down Wednesday with 1/2 price bottles of white, red, and sparkling wines.
Visit the Ja’ Grill website and follow on Instagram for more information about specials and events.

South Side Pie Challenge 2025
2025-11-01 14:00 - 17:00 | Ray Elementary School, 5631 S. Kimbark Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
South Side Pie Challenge 2025
Bakers and Pie Fans, after two pandemic editions of the South Side Pie Challenge – the Virtual Pie Challenge in Spring of 2020 and Pie It Forward in Fall of 2020, plus the outdoor Pie Challenge in 2021, and 2023, our biggest fundraising year ever for local hunger causes – WE ARE BACK AGAIN!
This year, we look forward to seeing you for the Pie Challenge at Ray Elementary School at 5631 S. Kimbark Avenue in Hyde Park.
Join us as we celebrate the art of baking and eating pie! We will again be raising money for the Hyde Park/Kenwood Hunger Programs! We will again be holding one of the city’s longest-running juried amateur pie-baking events! And, we will again come together as a community to support both our neighbors and our beautiful South Side!
Are you ready to compete again with your friends and neighbors for pie ascendancy? Are you ready to fundraise for hunger relief?
Instructions for bakers on November 1: please deliver TWO IDENTICAL PIES in disposable pie pans to the Ray Elementary School, 5631 S. Kimbark Ave, between the hours of 9:00 am and 10:30 am.
**** Due to health and safety concerns, pies with MERINGUE topping can’t be accepted, please top with Whipped Cream instead.
All pies will be sold to the public at $5 per slice between 2 pm – 5 pm.

Hyde Park Farmers Market
2025-11-02 09:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-09 09:00 - 14:00, 2025-11-16 09:00 - 14:00 | Hyde Park Bank Parking Lot, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Hyde Park Farmers Market
The South East Chicago Commission and Special Service Area #61 proudly present the Hyde Park Farmers Market, thanks to the partnership of Hyde Park Bank. The new market reveals an entirely fresh look with all new logistics, giving residents and visitors a chance to shop on the weekends and experience an infusion of healthy food, lifestyles, arts and culture.
Shoppers will find fresh produce from local Illinois farms, freshly baked breads and desserts, beautiful plants, packaged foods, personal beauty supplies, and traditional farmers market fare. Several market vendors accept Mastercard and Visa, LinkUp, and SNAP payments in addition to cash.

The Hyde Park Farmers Market:

Each Sunday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm
1516 E 54th St – 54th Street and Old Lake Park Ave West
(Hyde Park Bank parking lot)
Facebook Page
Instagram Page

The Market begins with the grand opening on Sunday, June 7 and the season continues through Sunday, September 27, 2025. You are invited to experience the new energy, entertainment, community engagement and a fantastically-curated collection of vendors.

Raven Chacon - American Ledger No. 3
2025-11-02 15:00 - 16:00 | Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Raven Chacon – American Ledger No. 3
Raven Chacon, a Diné composer and sound artist, conjures sonic landscapes that pulse with history, resistance, and a responsiveness to place. His work—whether as a soloist, collaborator, or with the collective Postcommodity—weaves noise, chamber music, and Indigenous storytelling into something visceral and unshakable. A Pulitzer Prize winner and mentor to young Native composers, Chacon’s music hums with the echoes of the land and the tension of the present, challenging ears and expectations alike. Originally commissioned by the Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago, who co-present this performance, Chacon’s American Ledger No. 3 is scored for two women’s choirs and dedicated to journalist, activist, and Chicagoan Ida B. Wells. The piece is a powerful addition to the artist’s ongoing American Ledger series and is staged in Chicago for the first time.
This program is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Special Event Info

This is a free, outdoor event. The performance will be presented rain or shine! Please dress for the weather and check our website for important updates regarding location changes due to inclement weather. Standing room with limited accessible seating available.

ISAC Lecture: Morag Kersel
2025-11-05 19:00 - 21:00 | ISAC Museum, 1155 E 58th St, Chicago, 60637
Jordan, like many nations, faces a persistent and complex problem of looting driven by the demand for cultural artifacts. The illicit excavation and trade of illegal antiquities from Jordan is fueled by a network of looters, intermediaries, and collectors who often acquire objects without scrutinizing their origin stories or the legality of their acquisition. Regardless of robust efforts by local communities, the Ministry of Culture, the Department of Antiquities, and various cultural heritage NGOs, the destruction of archaeological landscapes continues unabated. Sites are pillaged, invaluable historical data is lost, and local communities are increasingly alienated from their own heritage. An integrated approach to assessing the issue of looting includes archaeological evidence, archival documents, ethnographic interviews, and pedestrian and aerial surveys using unpiloted aerial vehicles (drones), provides valuable lessons regarding looting, loss, and landscape at a series of Early Bronze Age sites (3600–2000 BCE) along the Dead Sea Plain in Jordan. This is an examination of how archaeological material goes from the ground to the consumer (individual and institutional), the various pathways artifacts take, the laws and policies in place which facilitate or hinder the movement, and the consequences of demand for archaeological objects.
Morag M. Kersel is an archaeologist who works in the Eastern Mediterranean in the Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. Morag is professor of anthropology and former director of the Museum Studies Minor at DePaul University. She earned a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge. She also holds a Master of Historic Preservation (with Distinction) from the University of Georgia, a Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Classical Studies from Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada. In addition to participating in archaeological excavations and surveys in Egypt, Greece, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, and Turkey, Morag is interested in the relationship between cultural heritage law, archaeological sites and objects, the antiquities trade, and local interaction with heritage. She also works on the public display and interpretation of archaeological artifacts in institutional spaces. She has published a number of articles and is the co-author (with Christina Luke) U.S. Cultural Diplomacy and Archaeology: Soft Power, Hard Heritage (2013), co-editor (with M.T. Rutz ) of Archaeologies of Text: Archaeology, Technology, and Ethics (2014) and co-editor (with N.J. Brodie and J. Rasmussen) of Variant Scholarship. Ancient Texts in Modern Contexts (2023).

Tree Lighting and Cultural Festival
2025-11-08 08:00 - 15:30 | Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, 5700 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, 60637, United States
It’s a sparkling start to your holiday season in Chicago!
Join Griffin MSI’s Tree Lighting & Cultural Festival to kick off the beloved Christmas Around the World and Holiday of Lights exhibit. Take in the spectacle of more than 50 twinkling holiday trees, each decorated to represent a different country, and displays representing international seasonal celebrations of light, like Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Diwali and more.
We’ll flip the switch on our four-story Grand Tree at 11 a.m. with Santa Larry, the first Black Santa to spread holiday cheer at the Mall of America. Join us for this day-long festival to enjoy:

A countdown to the lighting of the Grand Tree
Live performances from local cultural organizations
Seasonal samplings from Stan’s Donuts
Unique gifts available in the Holiday Shop

This event is included in General Admission on November 8.

University of Chicago Service League Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale
2025-11-08 11:00 - 13:30 | Augustana Lutheran Church, 5500 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, 60637, United States
University of Chicago Service League Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale
Kick off the holiday season with this fabulous bazaar, featuring baked goods, jewelry, handmade items, vintage treasures, a silent auction, and a raffle of gift certificates to local restaurants, stores, and events. You never know what you’ll find or who you’ll see! All proceeds go to our carefully chosen charities, most of which are in or near Hyde Park.

Neighborhood Toy Story Day at Play Hyde Park
2025-11-08 11:00 - 15:00 | *Play Toys•Books•Gifts, 1502 E. 55th Street, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Neighborhood Toy Story Day at Play Hyde Park
Celebrate Neighborhood Toy Store Day at *play Hyde Park on Saturday, November 8 at 1502 E. 55th Street.
11:00 am Story Time
11:00 am / 1:00 pm / 3:00 pm
Calico Critter Meet & Greet
11:00 am session will follow Story Time

Silverroom Workshops: Intro to Crochet
2025-11-08 16:30 - 17:30 | The Silver Room
Join us for a fun and interactive workshop where you’ll learn the basics of crochet and create your own unique pieces!

Discover the joy of crochet with Erika and Monika Simmons, better known as the Double Stitch Twins. These crochet fashionistas and twin sisters have built a name for themselves with bold, contemporary designs that prove crochet is anything but old-fashioned.
In this beginner-friendly workshop, you’ll learn the basics of crochet step by step, from foundational stitches to creating simple patterns. Erika and Monika will share their tips, tricks, and creative approach to making crochet fun, stylish, and versatile. No experience is needed, just bring your curiosity and love for fashion and craft.
By the end of class, you’ll have the skills to start your own crochet creations and the confidence to keep stitching. All materials provided.
Two sessions available.

Meals from the Heart at the Ronald McDonald House
2025-11-09 09:00 - 12:00 | Ronald McDonald House, 5444 S Drexel Ave, Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Join fellow alumni in supporting Meals from the Heart at the Ronald McDonald House near UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital. Every evening, families staying at the House find comfort in a freshly prepared meal. These meals are made with love by volunteers like you. It’s a simple act with a powerful impact, offering warmth and care during some of their most difficult days. Volunteer as an individual. Bring a friend. Or rally your alumni group for a morning of service and connection.
Cost: AAUM Members: $10; Non-Members $15.
Contact: Questions? Email apriljoy.roberts@gmail.com.

Brentano String Quartet
2025-11-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, 915 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Brentano String Quartet
Praised for their “luxuriously warm sound” (New York Times) and “wonderful, selfless music-making” (The Times, London), the Brentano String Quartet has been a leading voice in chamber music since 1992. With a fearless interpretive voice and a flair for smart, distinctive programming, the ensemble has collaborated with artists such as Joyce DiDonato, Mitsuko Uchida, and Jonathan Biss, and has commissioned works from Gabriela Lena Frank and Vijay Iyer. Based at the Yale School of Music, where they serve as Artists-in-Residence, Brentano continues to shape the future of the string quartet through performance and mentorship.
Their UChicago program features Haydn at his most playful, Bartók at his most bracing, and Dvořák in full lyric flight. With three decades of insight behind every phrase, Brentano delivers a tour-de-force evening of string quartet mastery.
Program

Haydn: Quartet in C Major, Op. 54, No. 2
Bartók: Quartet No. 4, Sz 91
Dvořák: Quartet in G Major, Op. 106

Committed Knitters
2025-11-12 11:00 - 15:00 | UChicago Arts Incubator, 301 E. Garfield Boulevard, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Committed Knitters
Committed Knitters meets bi-weekly at the Arts Incubator Flex Space for a cozy, creative gathering open to all skill levels.
Committed Knitters invites you to our bi-weekly gatherings at the Arts Incubator Flex Space. Whether you’re a longtime knitter or picking up needles for the very first time, you’re welcome here. Come spend time in community, exchange ideas, and make steady progress on your projects in a relaxed, creative setting.
Supplies are provided—just bring yourself.
Drop in anytime.
Registration is not required, but encouraged to receive email updates and reminders about the other dates in this series.

The Taming of the Shrew
2025-11-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-15 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
The Taming of the Shrew
Welcome to a tale of deception, disguise, and desire.

The richest man in town has two daughters and one big problem: he refuses to marry the youngest, Bianca, until the eldest, Katherina, is married first. Much to her family’s dismay, Katherina repeatedly – and violently – rejects the men interested in her and her wealth, and refuses to sacrifice her independence. When a mysterious gentleman enters the mix, suddenly Kate sees that surrender is no sacrifice. Perhaps there is strength in submission.

Artistic Director of Remy Bumppo Theatre Company Marti Lyons (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) turns William Shakespeare’s classic inside out, with a fresh interpretation focused on feminine desire. This is not your standard Shrew.

Please Note: This adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew engages with mature themes—including desire, sexuality, and power dynamics.

Accessible Performances:

ASL Interpretation: Saturday, December 6 at 2:00pm
Touch Tour: Sunday, December 7 at 12:30pm
Audio Description and Open Captioning: Sunday, December 7 at 2:00pm

Six Degrees of Separation - Hyde Park Community Players
2025-11-14 19:30 - 21:30, 2025-11-15 19:30 - 21:30 | University Church, 5655 S. University Ave, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Six Degrees of Separation – Hyde Park Community Players
Friday, November 14, 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 16, 2:00 pm
Friday, November 21, 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 22, 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 23, 2:00 pm
University Church
5655 S. University Ave.
Join us for our next mainstage production, Six Degrees of Separation, written by John Guare and directed by Dorothy Parsons. Inspired by a true story, the play follows the trail of a young Black man, Paul, who insinuates himself into the lives of a wealthy New York couple, Ouisa and Flan Kittredge, claiming he knows their children at college. Captivated by Paul’s intelligence and his fascinating conversation, the Kittredges invite him to stay overnight. After an incident changes their opinion of him, Ouisa and Flan piece together the connections that gave Paul access to their lives. Meanwhile, Paul’s cons unexpectedly lead him into darker territory, and his lies begin to catch up with him. As the final events of the play unfold, Ouisa suddenly finds herself caring for Paul, feeling that he gave them far more than he took and that her once idyllic life was not what it seemed to be.
The play explores the existential premise that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else in the world by a chain of no more than six acquaintances, thus, “six degrees of separation.”

Get Your Advance Tickets Here!
Join us for Six Degrees of Separation, November 14-16 and 21-23. Advance tickets are $15, and tickets at the door are $20 general admission, $18 for students and seniors. All performances are at University Church, 5655 S. University Ave.
(Please note: Advance ticket sales close 24 hours before each show. After that point, tickets are available only at the door and not at the advance ticket price.)

Learn to Crochet - Granny Square
2025-11-15 10:00 - 13:00 | Fiber Friends Studios, Inc., 1744 E 55th Street, Chicago, 60615
Learn to Crochet – Granny Square
Discover the art of crocheting the classic granny square! No prior experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm for this traditional craft.
In this three-hour class, you’ll learn how to hold the yarn and hook and create a simple granny square using the chain 4 method and double crochet. You’ll also understand how to change colors and finish the square. This class is designed to be engaging and enjoyable, making it a family-friendly experience for children (7+) and adults alike!
Level: Beginner. No prior experience needed.
Pre-requisites: None
Included in class: 3 balls of Happy Yarn (47 yds / 20g), a 5mm crochet hook, and a darning needle.

Silver Room Workshops: Art Direction 101: Live Album Cover Creation
2025-11-15 16:30 - 18:30 | The Silver Room
Learn how to create stunning live album covers at our Silverroom Workshop: Art Direction 101!
Have you ever wanted to make a visually stunning album cover, but never knew where to start? Dive into the process in this live workshop with Art Director Justin Lindberg. We’ll be doing live photography, editing, and digital designing of an album cover for a local Chicago artist. Best design may even get a chance to become an artist’s next cover. Bring your preferred design/editing software, creative mind and good vibes. Camera is provided, but feel free to bring your own! This workshop is free with a suggested $5 donation that can be made via Eventbrite or in person.
Justin Lindberg is an Art Director and multi-disciplinary artist from Chicago’s West Side. He’s led the Art Direction for brands like Beats by Dre, Jack Daniel’s, the Chicago Cubs, and currently sits as the co-founder of Vision Dealer Studios, providing full visual creative services to help push independent artists and creatives.

Vinyl Listening Party
2025-11-15 19:00 - 20:30 | Call and Response Books, 1390 E. Hyde Park Blvd., Chicago, IL, 60615, United States
Vinyl Listening Party
Come through for an evening of great vibes and music spun by our friend Alexandria Ali of Silk Press Ink–the curator behind Call & Response Books’ vinyl collection!
We’ll spend the evening socializing, mingling, and soaking in some great tunes! Each ticket includes light drinks and refreshments!
Silk Press Ink is a Black-owned pop up vintage store specializing in vinyl, cassettes & CDs. Available for home, coffee table and community library archival consultation by appointment. Curated for you by Alexandria Ali. Preserving the culture one groove at a time.
