Howard Street's Callan Plaza Is Open — Rogers Park Just Got a Brand-New Community Gathering Space
By Socialhood News · Rogers Park ·
Rogers Park neighbors, something genuinely new has arrived on Howard Street. Callan Plaza — described by its organizers as Howard Street's newest community gathering space — has officially opened, marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:30 p.m. and a full block party complete with food, drinks, ice cream, and an inflatable water slide for families. The celebration was organized by the Rogers Park Business Alliance, which manages the Howard Street corridor through Howard Street Special Service Area #19.
The plaza isn't just another amenity bolted onto an existing streetscape. According to the Rogers Park Business Alliance, Callan Plaza was created as part of the One Howard Street Economic Recovery Plan — a deliberate, long-range effort to revitalize Howard Street as a destination for residents across Rogers Park and neighboring communities. The project physically transforms a former street into a flexible public space purpose-built for community events, cultural celebrations, and neighborhood gatherings. That is a significant reorientation of how that block functions: from traffic corridor to people-first civic space.
The timing matters. Howard Street has long been one of Rogers Park's most dynamic — and most complex — commercial corridors, sitting at the neighborhood's northern boundary where it meets Evanston. The One Howard Street Economic Recovery Plan represents a coordinated institutional bet on the corridor's future, and Callan Plaza is its most tangible public-facing result so far. A flexible outdoor gathering space gives the street something it has lacked: a physical anchor for programming, pop-ups, markets, and celebrations that can draw foot traffic and build community identity over time.
For neighbors who want to experience the full sweep of Rogers Park's fall programming right now, today is also the final stretch of the Glenwood Sunday Market's 17th season. The market runs every Sunday through October 25 on the west side of Glenwood Avenue between Lunt and Morse, and today — Sunday, October 11 — is a market day. The Rogers Park Business Alliance, which organizes both the market and the Callan Plaza opening, describes the Glenwood Sunday Market as the place to find local fruits and vegetables, baked goods, lunch items, meats, cheeses, tofu, and more from veteran food artisans and farmers. Seventeen seasons is a remarkable run for any neighborhood market, and this stretch of October Sundays represents its closing chapter for 2026.
Also active this week is the Jarvis Square Alfresco series. The Jarvis Square Artisan Market ran yesterday, Saturday, October 10, and the Jarvis Square Twilight Market picks back up on Monday, October 12 — making this a full weekend of neighborhood commercial energy across Rogers Park's distinct micro-corridors. Jarvis Square, anchored near the CTA Red Line's Jarvis stop, has built a reputation as a walkable destination with boutiques, antiques, restaurants, coffee shops, and a theater all within easy reach.
For those curious about Rogers Park's entrepreneurial pipeline, the RPBA's GROW eight-week entrepreneurial training program also had a session this past Thursday, October 8, with another scheduled for October 15. The program is part of RPBA's broader BEST (Business Entrepreneurial Support and Training) initiative — a signal that the organization is investing not just in events and placemaking, but in building the next generation of Rogers Park business owners who will eventually occupy the storefronts and corridors that projects like Callan Plaza are designed to serve.
To stay current on all Rogers Park Business Alliance programming — including updates on Callan Plaza events, remaining Glenwood Sunday Market dates through October 25, and upcoming Jarvis Square market nights — visit rpba.org or stop by the RPBA offices at 1448 W. Morse Ave. Rogers Park, your neighborhood just added a new public square. Go see what Howard Street is becoming.
Sources:
1. https://www.burbio.com/states/Illinois/Chicago/rogers-park-business-alliance
2. https://www.howardstreetchicago.com/events
3. https://business.rpba.org/events/search
4. https://blockclubchicago.org/uptown-edgewater-rogers-park/
5. https://www.choosechicago.com/neighborhoods/rogers-park/