Bucktown's Longest-Running Businesses Just Got Their Flowers — And the Neighborhood Showed Up Big

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/Bucktown · June 14, 2026

Bucktown has no shortage of exciting new openings grabbing headlines lately, but this past month the neighborhood paused to honor the businesses that have been holding it down for years. The Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce hosted its 2026 WPB Legacy Business Awards Mixer on May 13, celebrating the area's most enduring local institutions — the kind of places that were here long before the buzz, and will be here long after. It was a true community moment, bringing together neighbors, merchants, and longtime regulars to toast the businesses that define the neighborhood's character.

The Chamber didn't stop there. On May 19, it rolled out Patio Palooza on Division Street, inviting residents to explore some of the best outdoor dining spots in the area just as Chicago's patio season kicked into high gear. And on May 21, the WPB Women's+ Networking Event at Ruby Room Spa & Shop brought together female professionals across the community for an evening of connection and collaboration. Taken together, it was one of the Chamber's most active stretches of community-building in recent memory.

If you're not already plugged into what the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce has going on, now is a great time to get involved. Check out their events calendar at wickerparkbucktown.com and show some love to the legacy businesses that make this neighborhood what it is — they've earned it.

Sources:
1. https://business.wickerparkbucktown.com/chamber-events