The iconic Maxwell Street Market will return to its original home in Chicago later this month, the city announced in a press release.
According to officials, the market will be back on Maxwell Street for the first time since 1994, taking place on the final Sunday of each month during the summer.
“The Maxwell Street Market has been a Chicago tradition for more than a century. It not only promotes entrepreneurship, but also provides critically important opportunities for small businesses including craftspeople, artists, farmers, restaurateurs and resellers,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said in a statement.
According to officials, the market will be located on Maxwell Street between Halsted and South Union Avenues. It will also feature retailers and food vendors on Union Avenue between Rochford Street and Liberty Street.
Live entertainment, cultural programming and a wide variety of food vendors and retail options will exist along the market’s footprint.
The city moved the Maxwell Street Market from its original home to accommodate expansion of the campus of the University of Illinois-Chicago in the mid-1990s.
The market once comprised a total of nine city blocks, and was well-known as the birthplace of Chicago blues music and a wide variety of iconic food items.
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It was depicted in multiple iconic films, including “The Blues Brothers.” Live music made up a big part of the lifeblood of the market, with musicians like Muddy Waters honing their craft at the event.
The market was moved to Canal Street beginning in 1994, and then to Des Plaines Avenue in 2008, according to officials. It will now return to its original home, with the city announcing its opening dates on Thursday.
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According to officials, the first market will take place on May 26, and will take place on the last Sunday of each month, with the exception of the Sept. 1 event.
More information can be found on the city’s website.
