Chicago’s Iconic State Street Will Be Closed Off For Weekly Interactive Block Parties Again This Summer

Last year ‘Sundays on State’ was closed off to traffic every Sunday from July.

Last year, with the pandemic still lingering Chicago Loop Alliance announced an exciting project to “bring people safely back to the Loop”.

The project was an ambitious weekly summer street festival that saw closed off State Street from Lake to Madison on Sundays throughout summer. Called ‘Sundays on State’, the event aimed to revive the Loop’s economy with a wide range of attractions and activities that would give pedestrians “a chance to experience arts and culture, active recreation, retail, restaurants and bars against the backdrop of State Street’s iconic architecture.”

Dubbed as a trial last year with hints that it could become a regular summer occurrence depending on how it went, it is now coming back with an extended footprint after a hugely successful inaugural year.

According to research carried out by the Chicago Loop Alliance, Sundays on State met and exceeded the event’s three primary goals of accelerating the economic recovery, uniting the community and creating joy as well as bringing a range of different ages from over 20 different states.

One of the best parts was that over 69% of the activations were underrepresented business owners and the event had a direct economic impact in the Loop of over $12 million. It’s almost inevitable with such astounding success that it is making its return.

Though the official Sundays on State event page has revealed that it will be expanding, little information has been revealed about where and how. The event will be a similar setup to last year and  invite people to “come together with neighbors from every Chicago community and beyond for this free, interactive block party, while safely enjoying art, culture, active recreation, retail, bars, restaurants, and local attractions.”

In 2021 the event featured more than 70 activations throughout the day such as interactive painting, live theater, yoga, dance, circus performances, jazz and bluegrass musicians, DJs, outdoor dining, and sidewalk vendors. So this year you can expect more of the same

Along with pop-up shops, restaurants, and bars, there will once again be various outdoor concerts, theatrical performances, different arts and culture experiences, “Instagrammable” backdrops, and fitness classes.

In the event’s first year Applications were opened to any and all organizations up until May 26 with retailers, coffee shops, libraries, bookstores, community organizations, and fitness studios all encouraged to apply for free with no fees for occupying a pop-up space.

Sundays on State took place on Sundays July 11, 18, and 25, Aug. 8, 22, and 29, and Sept. 5 and 12 with closures from 7 am – 11 pm and the event itself running from 11 am – 8 pm. Dates for 2022 are yet to be revealed but you can sign up for updates or find more information on the Sundays on State official event page.

[Featured image from Shutterstock]