Welcome summer! What a way to kick off the month of June in the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood! The Archer Avenue Car Show drew in over a thousand people. The overall vibe was pure summer joy. The weather turned out beautiful and people were loving walking down a closed Archer Avenue. There were hundreds of amazing vehicles, local vendors, businesses, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners who came together to create one of the best nights of the summer.
Thank you to the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch for hosting another outstanding Archer Avenue Car Show and thank you for allowing the Midway Chamber of Commerce to serve as co-host and bring the Summer Nite Pop-Up to the event. As quoted on the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch Facebook page, “Events like this are only possible because of the dedication of so many people working behind the scenes. We are grateful to our volunteers, vendors, sponsors, Chamber members, and community partners for helping make the evening such a success.”
What an incredible evening on Archer Avenue!
The Garfield Ridge Library’s Summer Reading Kick Off Event was held on Saturday, June 6, to a great success, with 101 kids registered! Children made crafts and spun the wheel for prizes. What a great turnout of our local families and new ones too. A HUGE thank you to Happy Jack Concessions (Thanks Ken) for donating a free hour of popcorn and cotton candy to the kids who registered on that day. Another HUGE thank you to the Midway Chamber of Commerce for their donation of chips and water. We have 25 junior volunteers who will continue registering kids all summer. Earn your SLC T-shirt and receive a voucher for tickets to see the Windy City Thunderbolts this summer! Registration continues all summer long. Stop by for our schedule and calendar of events.
Garfield Ridge Library News
The Garfield Ridge Library (located on Archer and Mulligan) continues to offer programs for kids, teens and adults all year long. Check out the library’s website for more information. www.chicagopubliclibrary.org.
There is still time register your children for the Chicago Public Library’s annual Summer@Chicago reading and learning program. This eight-week program encourages school aged kids to continue learning over the summer and for little kids to experience the library and story times. All children ages 0-13 can participate and earn a summer reading t-shirt. Grand prize is a set of magnetic tiles. This year’s theme is “Chapters of Chicago” and runs from June 8 to Aug. 2. Each location offers different programs and prizes.
The Garfield Ridge Library will be raffling off Brookfield Zoo tickets that include free parking; back-to-school backpacks with school supplies; art supplies; Windy City Thunderbolt tickets; Raising Cain and Andy’s Ice Cream coupons; a Pokemon ball puzzle; a camping play set; two small sets of magnetic tiles and a Contraption Reaction kit as well as books.
Story Time Stars: Mondays, June 15-29, 10:30 a.m. Join us for our weekly summer story time with a take home craft. Listen to a Chicago themed story and make a simple craft to take home. For children 18 months to 4 years. Whether it’s a story about pizza, a garbage truck, or the airport, kids will learn a little something about our city!
City Builders Activity Class: Wednesdays, June 10-24, 10:30 a.m. Do you like to build things? Then join us at the library every week as we build with preschool Legos, foam blocks, snap cubes, wooden planks, magnetic tiles and more. Each session begins with a story before building starts. For ages 2-4 years.
Babbling Babies: Thursdays, June 25; July 16 and 23, 10:30 a.m. for babies up to 12 months. Join us for baby story time this summer. Listen to a few short stories, learn bouncing songs and fingerplays. Register your little one to participate in our summer reading program. Complete a Baby Log and earn a free book.
Senior Ice Cream Soda Day: Saturday, June 20, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Listen to live music with local musicians and friends of the library, Bud & Marge and enjoy some ice cream! While supplies last. For adults 50 and older. Stay afterwards to play cards or a board game.
K9 Patrol Demo: Monday, July 6, at 11:30 a.m. Join the Cook County Sheriff’s Office to learn about the K9 dog patrol and the duties they perform, including searching for lost people. For anyone 6 and up. Registration required as space is limited.
Speed Puzzle Event: Saturday, July 11, 11am to 2 p.m. Join us for our Summer Speed Puzzle Event. Each group (no more than four per group) will get a different 300-piece jigsaw puzzle from the other groups competing. Try to be the first group to complete your puzzle before the others. We will meet in our community room and start once we go over the rules. Special prize for the winner! For adults, teens and kids with parent, 10 and up.
Clearing Public Library programs
(Located at 6423 W 63rd Place. 312.747.5657)
Summer Story Time: Thursdays at two different times: attend either the 11 a.m. session or the 12 p.m. session. Dates are as follows: June 4, 11, 25 and July 2, 9, 16 and 30. Join us for story time especially for our littlest patrons! We share songs, rhymes and books, plus suggestions for at-home activities. For kids 0 to 5 and their caregivers.
The Great Chicago Portage: Wednesday, June 17, 6 p.m. Join Brian and Joyce Ostberg, creators of the BeHistoric YouTube Channel, to share a viewing of their documentary, “The Great Chicago Portage”, a video which describes the geologic origins and historical importance of the Chicago Portage, and the role of indigenous people, the French, the English, and Americans in its use and development, and how it has transformed to the present day. The viewing will be followed with a Q&A and discussion regarding their research, their methods of making the documentary, and how it relates to other projects that they have in production.
Community events
This year’s Patriots Day Parade will take place on Thursday, June 25, 7 p.m. Sponsored by the Midway Chamber of Commerce, the parade travels down Archer Avenue, starting at Parkside and ending at Kennedy High School. This year’s Grand Marshal is none other than Geno Randazzo, of All Exterior Contractors. Come out and celebrate community and country in honor of our great nation’s 250th birthday!
Mark your calendars for the annual Stars and Stripes 5K on Saturday, June 27, 8 a.m. It will take place at Wentworth Park (5625 S. Narragansett Ave.). This race will be run in honor of fallen Chicago firefighter Andrew Price. The fee for adults is $30 and for children, the fee is $25. Sponsored by the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch; the Chicago Park District; Alderman Quinn; Alderman Tabares; State Rep. Angie Guererro-Cuellar; and State Sen. Mike Porfirio. Visit the website RUNSIGNUP.com/GR5K to register. Please keep in mind that there will be street closures throughout the morning of the 5K, which we will share once we receive the route information. Stay tuned!
Last October, People’s Gas informed us that several old, deteriorating pipes in the 13th Ward will be replaced in 2026 and 2027 as part of their Pipe Retirement Program. These projects will maintain system safety and reliability across the community and will reduce pipe leaks and ruptures. Phase 12, which extends from Archer Avenue to 58th Street and from Natoma to Normandy Avenue, is currently under way. People’s Gas has notified Alderman Quinn’s office that the project will be completed by the end of August. If you have any further questions about this program, please don’t hesitate to call our office at 773-581-8000.
Regarding Rainey Non-Profit Dog Foundation’s “Hot Fun in the Summertime” Dog and Cat Adoption Event will take place on Saturday, June 19, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the War Veteran VFW Rhine Post at 5858 S Archer Ave. Free admission and raffles. Food vendors and dog and cat supply vendors. Presentations by Elizabeth French; the Cook County Sheriff’s Office K9 “Ella”; K9 for Veterans; the American Legion Veterans Organization (Chicago Ridge). Sponsored by PAWS Chicago; Feline Fine; Cat and Care Rescue; and Jami Lynn, Pet Photographer. For more information, please call Ramona at 630.991.3834 or email her at rapiencak@gmail.com. No pets allowed, only service animals, please.
Free events for kids in the parks
Here is a list of some other fun things to do this summer with your kids in our neighborhood. All events are free!
Wentworth Park by Kinzie Elementary School: Zootopia 2 movie Thursday, June 25, 8:45 p.m.
Hale Park District: Chango Snake Dog rockstar puppet show Thursday, July 23, 2 p.m.
Vittum Park: Circus in the Park on Thursday, August 20, 6 p.m.
Valley Forge: Circus Arts at the Park Friday, September 11, 6 p.m.
2 more things
Midway Chamber of Commerce’s “Garfield Ridge Farmer’s Market” 2026 Season: May 2 to Sept. 26, Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Located outside at the northwest corner of Archer Avenue & Narragansett/Biz Hub (6422 W. Archer Ave.). Come check them out!
The Garfield Ridge Senior Center, located on Archer and Laramie (5674-B South Archer Ave), has many events for June. “Jumpin’ June Jubilee” a 30th Anniversary and BINGO Party, will take place on Friday, June 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and costs $20 per person. Advance ticket purchase required. Snacks, bingo, lunch and a guessing game round out this fun event. Please call 312-745-4255 or stop at the center. Ask for Julie. The center will be closed on Friday, June 19. Identity Theft Presentation will take place on Wednesday, June 24, 10 a.m. Learn to identify theft/scams/frauds and understand the importance of securing your personal information. Sponsored by the Illinois Comptroller’s Office.
Until next time, keep being nice to one another and share a smile! Please continue submitting information to my email: ptyznik@gmail.com.