Community Day for Renewal (September)

Ellie Mejia
Sep 26, 2025
1 min read

With the summer winding down, we kept the back-to-school theme going on our Saturday, September 27th Community Day. The Overton plaza buzzed with families and neighbors of all ages who came together to play, connect, and make the space our own.

The spotlight that day was a visit from Creative Chicago Reuse Exchange (CCRx), a Chicago-based nonprofit that supports local educators and organizers by redistributing donated surplus materials. CCRx set up an Imagination Station where attendees could transform everyday recyclable items — like takeout containers, cardboard, and paper rolls — into personalized crafts. With their help, our young attendees made colorful buttons, pencil pouches, and lanyards.

Photos: Joe Ignatius

DJ Jade joined us for the first time to keep the energy up, and several of our young entrepreneurs returned as vendors. Jenny Guzman, who organizes our Creative Nature workshop series, brought back her popular rock painting activity from last month.

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The Overton Exchange POP is brought to you by the City of Chicago’s Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!) program, designed to create strategic community gathering spaces that serve as destination points for residents and neighborhood visitors.