MORE THAN A GARDEN WALK, IT’S A CELEBRATION OF BUCKTOWN
100 GARDENS, 55 ARTISTS, 10 SCULPTURES, 20 MURALS, 27 LOCAL BUSINESS SPECIALS, 21 VOLUNTEERS
Welcome to the 17th annual Bucktown Neighborhood & Garden Walk! We invite you to meander through the neighborhood and view our 100 urban gardens, listen to music, watch a visual artist create their art, stop at your favorite neighborhood store for a BNGW special, and learn about everything that makes Bucktown great. Here you will find a guide of urban gardens, “Garden Happenings” our music, artist, and local businesses weekend programming, public art, landmarks, schools, churches, parks, gardens, and other notable places for Chicago residents and visitors to view at their leisure. This year we will also be celebrating the memory of Joe Lake.
SOCIAL DISTANCING is a requirement to participate. We are thankful to all our sponsors, especially Jeff Lowe of The Lowe Group as our main event sponsor. Visit them, shop at them.
DATE and TIME
July 17 & 18 from 10am to 6pm for garden viewing.
GARDEN HAPPENINGS
More than just a garden walk, in celebration of Bucktown, we are MUSIC, LIVE ART, PERFORMANCE ART, POP UP SCULPTURE EXHIBIT, and LOCAL SPECIALS. Check out the Garden Happenings Lineup.
DIGITAL MAP
This map is now a permanent fixture of the BCO for you to access anytime, anywhere…
There are multiple categories and layers for you to customize your experience.
These are a sample of neighborhood favorites and certainly doesn’t constitute a complete list.
The digital map and downloadable guide will now be available all summer long.
Outside of the festival weekend, please remain respectful of the garden participants and only view their gardens from the front sidewalk.
GET THE GUIDE
This guide is laid out in 4 quadrants. We have listed the map items accordingly by location inside the guide. Simply follow the gardens from number 1 through 100 and read down the list of all map items. Don’t hesitate to use this guide in conjunction with the digital map below! (best way to print is booklet style, 2 to a page, landscape)
DONATE and BECOME A BCO MEMBER
Suggested Donation is $10 for participation. If you are not already a BCO member, your donation of $25 or more will automatically make you a BCO member!
VOLUNTEERS
This event is put on by the community, for the community. Our staff are all dedicated Bucktown residence volunteers. From left to right, thank you Aaron Blanke, Darien Hallagan, Kim Kozimor, Sam Marts, Olivia Belmonti, Seona Kim Parsons, Jill Newman, and Jennifer Ackerman. Julianne Hartzell, Lauren Mead Palmer, and Aaron Mayerle are not pictured. Social Media by Sydnea Blair.
For more festival information, please contact Darien Hallagan
SPONSORS
This event wouldn’t happen without our dedicated sponsors. Please visit them.
 Jeff Lowe |
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 Alex Ilich |
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 1658 N. Milwaukee Ave |
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IN MEMORIAM OF JOE LAKE
Joe Lake, 84, passed away peacefully on April 9, 2021. Known as “Chicago Joe” and a supporter of the arts, Joe lived in the Bucktown area before moving to the suburbs to be closer to his daughter and family. As he was always trying to make Bucktown better, some of his most treasured memories are with his Bucktown and Wicker Park friends. He truly loved good conversations and good friends. Joe is the reason why Eva Bergant, Acting BCO President, resides on the BCO Board – she has been a board member for over 18 years. Living on Wood St, one of his favorite events was the Annual Bucktown Garden Walk.
The family of Joe Lake requests in memoriam, please donate to the BNGW in his name, to continue the spirit of togetherness, and support the neighborhood and event he cherished.
To learn more about Joe Lake and his legacy in Bucktown, please see:
- Bucktown Neighbor Joe Lake Hated Corruption — So He Got Involved In The Community To Stop It April 2021
- Joe Lake leaves Chicago but not its political scene — he dons his cape of justice again | Our Urban Times February 2014
- Joe Lake: Neighborhood ‘Gadfly, Agitator, Crusader’ – Wicker Park & Bucktown – Chicago – DNAinfo March 2013
2020 BNGW
Check out our 2020 report and an excellent article written at Our Urban Times about our 2020 event.
2020 BNGW Report
Bucktown Garden Walk sports a new look
PERSONAL COVID RESPONSIBILITY AND RELEASE
Garden Participants: Social Distancing is a requirement to participate. Especially if you choose to attend backyards, courtyards, and/or garage/rooftops where space may be minimal, please be extra aware of your surroundings around social distancing.
Garden Hosts: If you choose to open your backyard, courtyard, garage/rooftop to garden walk participants, please be sure you are personally comfortable with this choice. The BCO will do our best to reinforce social distancing.
Any participants acknowledge that:
- they do not posses COVID or any COVID like symptoms
- they have not traveled outside of the united states and/or to a COVID hotspot within the last 14 days
- they have not been exposed to COVID within the last 14 days
BCO is not responsible for personal, individual COVID safety measures and choices. Furthermore, any participants release, waive and forever discharge any and all liability, claims and demands of whatever kind or nature against the BCO, BCO Garden Hosts and event sponsors of injury or damage or losses from participation in this event.