The Midway Chamber of Commerce heard from the community about the need for block parties vendors and delivered by incorporating them in their Spring Pop-Up on Saturday, April 11, at the Biz Hub located at 6422 W. Archer Ave., Chicago.
They invited block party vendors who would be offering services such as face-painting, sip-and-paint, arts and crafts curated for children/adults, Puerto Rican ice cream, Latin American drinks, and Salvadoran pupusas.
In 2025, the Midway Chamber of Commerce applied for a city grant to open the Biz Hub, with the understanding there would be room for block party vendors as well as regular vendors and crafters.
“We wanted a pop-up not only to include our regular vendors and crafters but also the block party feature,” said Tala Morales, the chamber’s social media director. “We’re just hoping to have these small businesses get their name out there, sell their products, and be a safe space for them to come and be out in the community.”
Despite a slow turnout and some vendors deciding at the last minute not to show up, it was not a complete loss as residents trickled in throughout the late morning and early afternoon hours. There was a sense of comradery and good mood among vendors, many who walked around introducing themselves, and handing out business cards inviting each other to other Chicagoland events.
It also kicked off the chamber’s restaurant week, which runs April 12-18. Participants of restaurant week were able to pick up a passport that included the list of all 15 participating restaurants along with a QR code, which sent them to the website featuring all of their prefix menus and locations, and what this means for the community.
Yari Robbles, the chamber director of the farmer’s market and the pop-up event, was out of town, but had coordinated with the 21 food, merchandise, and block party vendors.
“We’re always trying to maximize the experience for the customers and provide a variety of opportunities for things at these pop-ups,” she said. “So, we added an extra layer of Block Party vendors. We just want to keep engaging the community and the resources that are here in the local area. We want to promote businesses and promote community.”
Visitors were treated to a one-stop-shop of block party vendors and were able to fill out block party applications early with the help of their aldermanic ward representatives.
Long-time supporter Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) walked around to meet the vendors. Inside the Biz Hub, her staffers Emma and Jason were stationed to help residents with city services, block parties, and garage sales applications.
“We want our businesses on the main corridors, surrounding Midway Airport, to flourish, to thrive. The Midway Chamber is doing a positive way of bridging the gap between businesses and community members,” she said.
Camila Corona, a kid entrepreneur of Lunita’s Arts & Crafts, has been making handmade creations since she was 4 and selling them with her big sister Ximena. Missing from the craft table was Camila’s 11-year-old sister and business partner, who took the day off and left Camila to run the cash register.
However, her mother, Magali Gomez, and grandmother stood on the sidelines, ready to jump in when Camila asked for assistance. Gomez started as a craft vendor and now takes more of a backseat as her daughters have taken over the business. She joked that she’s just their security guard at craft shows and vendor events, but still helps crochet some of the larger pieces.
“I came out here, so we can just have fun, be ourselves, and make cool stuff.” 8-year-old Corona said.
Deniz Evangelista, owner of Little Loops & Layers LLC, has attended vendor events hosted by the chamber for the last year and is approaching her first year as a business owner.
“The Spring-Pop, like many of the chamber’s vendor events, helps us get our names out there and interact with our community,” she said.
Niyah’s Puerto Rican Ice cream owner, Joshuah Hernandez, he’s been doing pop-ups in Aurora, Brookfield, Chicago, LaGrange, and Oak Lawn. He and his wife live in the area and own a beauty bar a few streets away from the Biz Hub.
“It’s fun to serve the community you grew up in, especially the Midway area. Here is where we started our business, and we just thought it would always be nice to be within our community and share what we have to offer,” said Hernandez.
