Every Sunday during Community Days, El Paseo fills with neighbors picking up produce, grabbing coffee, checking on what’s growing, and catching up with friends. Little kids climb and run through the nature play area while their parents wander the food forest. Volunteers care for the garden alongside staff and growers, while others come for wellness workshops, live performances, or simply to see what’s changed since their last visit.

As Sunday morning unfolds, you’ll find plenty of reasons to linger. Come hungry and grab one of Yvolina’s salsa verde tamales with a piña colada agua fresca made fresh daily by Royal T’s. Spend some time in the garden, then head home with fresh produce, new knowledge, and maybe even a new friend.

This summer, we invite you to make El Paseo Community Days part of your Sunday ritual. Every Sunday, the market, U-Pick Farmstand, workshops, volunteer opportunities, and family activities come together in one shared space. Each month we’ll share what’s happening in the garden and what’s coming up during Community Days this summer.

Start here: Visit the Giron Books stand for coloring books filled with beautiful, ancestral images, then walk through the garden or food forest, and don’t miss the U-Pick Farmstand!

This Week in the Garden

Fresh this week: Garlic scapes, mixed greens, and quail eggs.
Try this: Say hello to Anticonquista Café and grab their horchata cold brew. It tastes like café de olla, horchata, and coffee all in one.
Keep an eye out for: Sprouting tomatoes
Notice: The butterflies and different pollinators    

Community Days this July

Sunday the 5th | Sprinkler and water games

Spend a hot July morning cooling off with sprinklers, water games and plenty of room for kids to play. Bring clothes you don’t mind getting wet, then stop by the Sunday Market for an agua fresca or a snack before heading home. Then, join

Sunday the 12th | Herbalism Series — Ancestral Intelligence: Technologies of the Earth

Join Kari of Fuego Libre to learn about herbs that support our nervous system. Together we’ll explore practical ways plants can become part of everyday care for ourselves, our families, and our communities. After the workshop, take a walk through the garden or visit the U-Pick Farmstand to see what’s in season. Registration is required.

Sunday the 19th | Free Outdoor Theatre: Seed Folks

Bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy a free performance of Seed Folks presented by FYBI Theatre. Set in a community garden, the story reminds us how shared spaces can bring neighbors together through small acts of care. Pack a picnic blanket, visit the market, and spend your morning with us.

Sunday the 26th | Meet the Bees

Join our lead beekeepers for a closer look at the honey bees that help our garden thrive. Learn how pollinators support the food we grow, then take a walk through the pollinator gardens to see some of that work in action. Registration is required.

Whether you stop by for an hour or spend the whole morning with us, we hope El Paseo’s Community Days become part of your summer. The garden is always changing, and every Sunday offers a chance to learn, support local vendors, volunteer, or enjoy a Chicago summer with your neighbors.

We’ll be back next month with another Community Days update.

See you in the garden.