Giving Tuesday (Dec 3) is just around the corner. Join Experimental Station over the next few weeks as we take you on a journey of our impact and why your support matters.

Your contribution will help us address food insecurity, empower youth, and build community in Chicago’s south side and across Illinois.

This fall, Experimental Station celebrates its impactful programs fostering community connections and growth. Blackstone Bicycle Works engaged Woodlawn youth through bike mechanics and career counseling, while the 61st Street Farmers Market deepened ties with Jackson Park Terrace residents, promoting healthy food choices and community engagement. Link Up Illinois enhanced access to fresh, local produce through the statewide Link Match program.

We are thrilled to share that Experimental Station’s Blackstone Bicycle Works program was featured yesterday on ABC 7 Chicago Eyewitness News! Reporter Leah Hope visited BBW at 6100 S Blackstone to interview two BBW Earn-A-Bike Summer Camp participants, siblings Leila and Nazareth, who shared their enthusiasm for the program.

Through Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW)’s 2024 Earn-A-Bike summer camp, 39 youths aged 9-17 not only earned their bikes but also went home with the knowledge and spirit of true cyclists. While many participants came with some riding experience, five youths learned to ride a bike for the first time, overcoming their fears.

Through the work of our Link Up Illinois, 61st Street Farmers Market, and Link Access for Chicago Farmers Markets programs, Experimental Station already envisions the potential for an agricultural transition supported by rebuilding linkages between Illinois farmers and low-income Illinoisans seeking access to fresh and healthy foods. We invite you, in reading our 2023 outcomes on the following pages, to see why we are excited. We hope that you will be excited too! 

Our fall newsletter is an overview of our work empowering youth in Chicago's South Side, increasing fresh food access statewide, and supporting cultural practitioners and local business incubation in 2023.

Here are the dates for our [INDOOR] market for this winter.

Nov. 4, 11, 18 | Dec. 2, 9, 16 | Jan. 13 | Feb. 10 | Mar. 9 | Apr. 13

We will continue to offer our region's finest and our favorite farmers and products throughout the winter season!

LabE is a series of monthly cohort meetings addressing particular needs of disabled dance artists.

Limited capacity. Advanced registration is requested and appreciated.

Please click for details and to register.

Make your contribution monthly, quarterly, or yearly and become a sustaining partner in our work to provide essential resources in our communities.

Experimental Station and Chicago Farmers Market Collective to distribute $25 coupons to 7,500 seniors in Chicago

Download 2022 Guide to Illinois Farmers Markets, Food Co-ops, and Grocery Stores Accepting Link and Link Match

With increased resources, longstanding partnerships, new collaborations, and the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, Experimental Station was able to expand, deepen, enhance, and—in some cases—simply return to some of our food access work.