Jefferson Park Forward

JPF June Walk
2021-06-26 09:30 - 15:30 (America/Chicago) | Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., 4872 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
For June we’ll have an easy walk in that there will be very few turns. We’re going to walk straight down Milwaukee Avenue all the way downtown. We’ll be traversing many neighborhoods along the way. A walk down Milwaukee provides no better way to experience the sights, sounds, and in the case of Blommer Chocolate, smells of the city. Buckingham Fountain will mark the terminus before the return trip home. The Blue Line is an option but we personally prefer the 56 bus. As we traverse through Avondale, Logan Square, Bucktown, Wicker Park, River West there will be numerous opportunities to hit an establishment for some refreshment. Miller’s Pub downtown is another option .It will be a great time with total distance of around 11 miles. As usual meet at Weston’s by 9:30.

Jefferson Park Forward General Meeting
2021-07-15 19:00 - 20:00
Our July 2021 general meeting will be IN PERSON!!! Please join us in the back patio at Windsor Tavern on Thursday, July 15 at 7pm. Join us to hear a legislative update from Senator Robert Martwick then stick around for a preview of the JPF Community Stage at Jeff Fest featuring Thomas Comerford! For those still not ready for in-person events, we will livestream the meeting on our public Facebook page.

Jeff Fest 2021
2021-07-30 18:00 - 2021-08-01 22:00 | Thomas Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 North Long Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
Join us at Jeff Fest this year as we sponsor the JPF Community Stage.

Movie in the Park - Black Panther
2021-08-11 20:00 - 22:00
Please join Jefferson Park Forward and the Jefferson Memorial Park Advisory Council for a Movie in the Park! Black Panther will begin at sunset (approximately 8pm). This is a free community event and popcorn will be provided. Please bring your own chairs and picnic blankets.

JPF August 2021 General Meeting
2021-08-19 19:00
Our next general meeting will be held on Thursday, August 19 at 7pm. Due to unexpected construction on The Windsor Tavern’s beer garden and the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, we will host the meeting on Zoom and meet up outdoors at The Windsor’s side patio after the meeting for an in-person social hour (or two). JPF virtual general meetings are open to the public, but registration is required.

Register Here

Jake Lang from One Million Degrees will join us to share how they accelerate community college students’ progress on career pathways to economic mobility and how you can become a mentor.

Cathy Voight, Executive Director of the Gladstone Park Chamber of Commerce and Joe DiCiaula from the Gladstone Park Neighborhood Association will join us with a preview of Throwback Music Festival.

Finally, you’ll get a sneak peak at our 2021 Board of Directors candidates!

The meeting will also be broadcast on our YouTube channel.

JPF Annual Meeting & Election - September 2021
2021-09-16 19:00 - 20:00
Join JPF for our annual meeting and Board of Directors elections. We’ll hear from Congressman Mike Quigley before confirming our 2021-2022 board members. Due to construction on the back patio at the Windsor Tavern and the current COVID-19 surge, this meeting will be held virtually on Zoom. Following the meeting, we will meet up outdoors for a social hour (or two!) on the side patio at Windsor Tavern. The meeting is open to all, but registration is required and only active (paid) members may vote.

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/…/tZArce6rqjovH9UkWgOoGRbtSeTA8…

Voting information will be emailed to active members prior to the meeting. Let your membership lapse? Renew here: https://www.jeffersonparkforward.org/subscribe/

Park(ing) Day
2021-09-17 11:00 - 14:00
It’s Park-ing Day week, the glorious 3rd Friday in September, and this is the fifth annual local, JPF edition of this international event, back with a smaller in-person footprint this year.We’ll have lunchtime games in a couple spots near the transit center, in the usual spot, including a mini putting green, ring toss, and chess. Stop by if you have a minute to help turn a couple parking spaces into temporary people spaces.Background on the movement: https://vimeo.com/180119681

JPF September Walk
2021-09-18 09:30
Well it’s been a rough year weather wise for our walks. Hopefully September will be a change. For September we’ll be replicating a walk we did summer of 2019. We’ll basically head west towards Oak Park Avenue. Once there we’ll head straight south towards Oak Park. We likely take a slight detour at Rutherford Sayre Park. CPD built a nice nature area on the south side of the tracks, it should make for some nice September viewing/birding. Once in Oak Park we’ll walk past several Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. We’ll also make the required stop in downtown Oak Park for some “refreshment”. After we’re done we’ll walk back to Austin to catch the 91 bus back to JP though if we’re still feeling ambitious an exploratory walk through Columbus Park might be a good call. As usual we’ll meet at Weston’s for a 9:30 departure. Total distance will be around 8 miles.

JPF Knittervention
2021-09-26 11:00 - 13:30
Join your neighbors at the Jefferson Park Sunday Market (at Irish American Heritage Center) for food, beverages, and good conversation while you knit, crochet, craft, create, whatever at JPF Knittervention! Bring your own project.

JPF Home Brew Competition
2021-11-12 08:00 - 17:00 | Lake Effect Brewing Co., 4727 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, Illinois, 60641, United States
Join us for the 4th Annual JPF Home Brew Competition at this exclusive members-only event. Try six home brews within the confines of JPF business partner Lake Effect Brewing Co. with food provided by JPF business partner North Branch Fried Chicken.

Not a member? Join us today.

JPF General Meeting
2022-02-17 19:00 - 20:30
Join us for our first general meeting of 2022! Congressman Mike Quigley will share a congressional update and answer constituent questions, Tim Pomaville of Ambrosia Homes will provide an update on the redevelopment of the Jefferson Park Firehouse, and Lionel Rabb will join us to discuss progress on the Northside Cultural District and provide updates from the Jefferson Memorial Park Advisory Council. The general meeting is virtual, but we’ll meet up for some in-person fun after the meeting at Brigadoon (5748 W Lawrence Ave)!

JPF general meetings are open to all, but registration is required for virtual meetings. Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqfuusqj8tE9NZLiEgf5XT-q-sEqQLoE-P

JPF February Walk
2022-02-26 09:30 - 13:30 | Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., 4872 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
For February we’ll do a “rerun” of a very enjoyable December 2020 walk. We’ll head down Milwaukee Ave towards Schurz HS. Then we’ll head east to explore the incredible homes of the Old Irving Park and Villa District neighborhoods. After exploring the neighborhoods we’ll stop for refreshment (guessing Eris or OIB) Chicago weather the last week of February can vary greatly. While it could be 20 degrees and snowing, it could just as easily be 55 degrees and sunny. If it turns we have exceptional weather we can extend the walk a little further into either Avondale or Independence Park. While things are trending in the right direction I would certainly plan on any establishment we visit requiring proof of vax. As usual we’ll meet at Weston’s for our 9:30 departure.

JPF Social: Wearing of the Green Edition
2022-03-17 19:00 - 22:00 | The Windsor Tavern, 4530 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
We’re lucky to be neighbors! Join us for our first in-person event of 2022! All are welcome!

JPF Directors Meeting
2022-04-06 19:00 - 20:00
The JPF Board of Directors meets each month. If you wish to address the Board, attend a Board meeting or review our meeting minutes, please reach out to us at info@jeffersonparkforward.org.

Jefferson Park Sunday Market
2022-04-10 10:00 - 14:00 | Copernicus Center Annex, 5214 W. Lawrence Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
It’s more important than ever to support our local farmers and producers. With a strong local food system, we all enjoy fresher foods, keep money circulating in our community, and protect ourselves from large corporate supply chain disruptions. Farmers and producers rely on farmers markets for their livelihoods, and it is in all of our best interests to support them as much as we can during this difficult time.

JPF Easter Stroll
2022-04-17 09:30 - 11:00 | Weston’s Coffee & Tap, 4872 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
For Easter we’re going to do something that we did last Thanksgiving and it was a lot of fun. This isn’t a day long walk event, simply a 60-90 minute walk around the neighborhood. We’ll end up in the three mile range. The shorter distance makes it perfect for those that want to bring kids or dogs (both of which we had on Thanksgiving). Given its short length it won’t interfere with any afternoon family plans you might have. We’ll meet at Weston’s (or the sidewalk/alley equivalent in case they’re closed). Our actual route will depend which coffee shop (s) will be open lol. Portage Grounds was open on Thanksgiving. Please note we will still have a standard JPF Walk on April 30.

JPF General Meeting
2022-04-21 19:00 - 20:00 | Windsor Tavern & Grill, 4530 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
Join us this month for a discussion about a new community gardening initiative and upcoming Jefferson Memorial Park Advisory Council (JMPAC) activities. Stephanie Livingston from the Jefferson Park Pollinator Gardens group will join us to share plans for a new community pollinator garden at Jefferson Memorial Park. We’ll also hear what JMPAC has planned for this spring and summer at the park.

JPF April Walk
2022-04-30 09:30 - 15:00 | Weston’s Coffee & Tap, 4872 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
For April we’ll be doing another rails-to-trails route. This time it will be the Valley Line Trail. From Weston’s we’ll head east to Labagh Woods where we’ll pick up the Weber Spur for a bit. Heading north, at Bryn Mawr we’ll branch off to the left to pick up the Valley Line Trail. The section within Chicago is sometimes referred to as the Sauganash Speedline. From there it’s just a straight shot on the trail heading NNW. The trail is paved. We’ll take a slight detour north of Howard to quickly do the rounds of the nature trails within the Emily Oaks Nature Center. After that we’re back on the trail passing through downtown Skokie. After our walk, Village Inn in Skokie will be perfect for some refreshment. Total distance will be around 7.5 miles.

Options for the trip home are a little more limited since it’s the weekend. The quickest way would be to grab the Pace 250 Dempster bus to the Pace Milwaukee Ave. Pulse bus. Pace says it’s around 45-50 minutes back to JP. If people are really ambitious it’s around a five mile walk back down Niles Center Rd /Central Ave. It would be around a three mile walk to get in the range of the CTA 85A Central bus. Of course we could simply admit failure and grab a couple Ubers.

Forward March Pub Crawl 2022
2022-05-07 15:00 - 22:00
Our annual Forward March Pub Crawl is back. Pre-purchased tickets include a handy drink holder! All ticket sales support the Jefferson Park alley project and Jeff Fest Community Stage!

JPF Community Development
2022-06-07 19:30 - 21:00
We’ll talk about Pullman, where we walk on Saturday 6/11! Link coming soon.

JPF June 2022 Walk
2022-06-11 08:45 - 14:00
Pullman National Monument

Our walk for June will be a little different. In conjunction with our JPF Community Development Committee, we’ll take a little trip courtesy of the CTA and Metra.

Our destination will be Pullman for a walking tour of the neighborhood. For those unaware the area is now part of the National Park Service. The main visitor center is in the Administration/Clock Tower building. From there we’ll walking through the neighborhood. We’ll see the Hotel Florence, the Greenstone Church (yes it’s green), the Market buildings, and of course the row houses.

The actual walk distance likely won’t be much more than 3 miles. This will be a slow paced walk to savor the neighborhood’s history. If you’re not fully aware of the Pullman story a little pre-walk studying might make your walk that much more enjoyable.

After the walk we’ll likely hit up Lexington Betty’s BBQ on 111th. Please note the earlier meetup time at Weston’s. Also note we need to stick to a hard time for departure as we’ll need to be at Millennium Station by 10AM.

Hope to see you there.

Candidate Meet & Greet
2022-06-16 18:30 - 20:30 | Copernicus Center Annex, 5216 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
Meet candidates for the 10th Senate District, 15th House District, and 19th House District at the Copernicus Annex on June 16. There will be networking sessions from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm to 8:30 pm where you can talk to the candidates. At 7:00 pm, the candidates will address the crowd and answer a couple questions. Please note: this is an informational/meet and greet event and not meant to be a formal debate/forum. Primary voting is on Tuesday, June 28.

Flyer for June 16 Candidate Forum (7pm at Copernicus Center Annex).

JPF General Meeting & Jeff Fest Community Stage Preview
2022-07-21 19:00 - 21:00 | The Windsor Tavern, 4530 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL, 60630, United States
Join Jefferson Park Forward at our general meeting and get a sneak preview of the upcoming Jeff Fest Community Stage.

Jeff Fest 2022
2022-07-29 00:00 - 2022-07-31 23:59 | Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 N. Long Ave., Chicago, IL, 60630, United States

Jefferson Park Sunday Market
2022-08-14 09:30 - 13:30
*not a JPF event

Join your neighbors at the Jefferson Park Sunday Market for music, food, drink, and many local vendors.

JPF Knittervention @ the Jefferson Park Sunday Market
2022-08-14 11:30 - 13:30
Join your neighbors to knit, crochet, craft or whatever while we enjoy food and shopping from the Jefferson Park Sunday Market.

JPF August General Meeting
2022-08-18 19:00 - 20:30 | Windsor Tavern and Grill, 4530 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630, USA, Chicago, IL, United States
Please join us for the JPF August 2022 General Meeting featuring Ameri R. Klafeta, Director, Women’s and Reproductive Rights Project at the Roger Baldwin Foundation of ACLU, Inc. AND Melissa Oquendo from Moms Demand Action NW Chicago. We’ll discuss current issues and learn what we can do locally to support reproductive rights and children in our community. You’ll also hear about upcoming JPF events, including the August JPF Walk and the JPF September 2022 elections! The meeting will take place on the back patio at The Windsor Tavern (4530 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630) on Thursday, August 18 at 7pm.

JPF August 2022 Walk
2022-08-20 09:00 - 13:00
For August we’re going to do another “train” walk. From Weston’s we’ll take the Blue Line downtown and transfer to the Green Line which we’ll take to the Garfield stop. At that point we’ll start our walk through Washington Park, Kenwood, Hyde Park & Jackson Park. Along the way we’ll see landscaped parks, mansions, amazing sculptures, and incredible lake views. We’ll do a basic clockwise circle route which at some point will take us back to the Garfield stop or the Cottage Grove stop (also Green Line) for the trip home.

Obviously we’ll try to work in some refreshment.

Couple of points….

I’m not sure walking by the Obama house is an option. I know the Secret Service blocks cars from his street, not sure about non-resident pedestrians.

With a little luck on the timing we might catch the Blue Angels on the lake as the Air Show is that day.

Note, we’re shooting for a slightly earlier departure time from Weston’s of 9AM. Total distance is around 7 miles. The L trip should be around an hour each way.

Jefferson Park Sunday Market
2022-09-11 09:30 - 13:30 | Thomas Jefferson Memorial Park, 4822 North Long Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, 60630, United States
It’s important to support our local farmers and producers. With a strong local food system, we all enjoy fresher foods, keep money circulating in our community, and protect ourselves from large corporate supply chain disruptions. Farmers and producers rely on farmers markets for their livelihoods and it is in all of our best interests to support them!

JPF 2022 Annual Meeting
2022-09-15 19:00 - 20:00 | Weston’s Coffee & Tap Co., 2144, 4872 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60630, USA, Chicago, IL, United States
The JPF 2022 Annual Meeting is the opportunity for JPF members to elect their Board of Directors. All are welcome to attend, though voting is open only to Regular Members in good standing.
