Maxwell Street Market to return to original home near UIC for 2024 season

Maxwell Street Market, a Chicago staple for over a century, will be returning to its original home near the University of Chicago Illinois campus this summer.

The market had been operating on South Desplaines Street since 2008. This area has since become the city's landing zone for migrants arriving by bus.

During the 2024 season, the market will take place on Maxwell Street between Halsted Street and Union Avenue, as well as on Union from Rochford Street to Liberty Street, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events announced Thursday.

Visitors can check out vendors selling food, crafts, secondhand goods and clothing at the market. Express Grill, Hashbrowns, Jim’s Original Hot Dog, Lalo’s Mexican Restaurant and Bar Louie are some of the highlights of the market's offerings this season, according to the city.

Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe founded the market in the late 19th century, and it later became a hot spot for Chicago Blues, an electrified style of blues music.

"The Maxwell Street Market has been a Chicago tradition for more than a century,” Mayor Brandon Johnson was quoted as saying in a news release announcing the change. “It not only promotes entrepreneurship, but also provides critically important opportunities for small businesses including craftspeople, artists, farmers, restaurateurs, and re-sellers.

The market moved to Canal Street in 1994 as the University of Chicago Illinois' campus expanded, and in 2008, it was reestablished on Desplaines. The latest iteration of the market became known for its Mexican and Latin American street food offerings.

This year's market will kick off next weekend, on Sunday, May 26, and will continue to take place on the last Sunday of every month from May to October, according to the release, with the August market taking place Sept. 1.

Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

In the release, Clinée Hedspeth, commissioner of theDepartment of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said the department hopes Maxwell Street Market will "further enhance this already-bustling neighborhood."