Galewood's 'Jaw-knee's Beef' Halloween Display Wins Chicago Sun-Times Citywide Spotlight
By Socialhood News · Galewood ·
Galewood has a Halloween reputation to protect — and one couple on the Northwest Side just made sure the whole city knows it. The Chicago Sun-Times this week named a Galewood yard display one of Chicago's best Halloween setups of 2026, shining a citywide spotlight on the neighborhood's deep-rooted holiday spirit at exactly the right moment.
The display belongs to Susie and Mike Jendro, and its concept is as Chicago as it gets. Themed after Johnnie's Beef — the iconic Italian beef stand in Elmwood Park, just down the street from the couple's home — the yard installation riffs on the beloved restaurant with full Halloween flair. The Sun-Times, which received more than 50 submissions from across the city for its best-Halloween-displays feature published October 28, chose the Jendros' creation as one of its top picks.
Susie Jendro said in her Sun-Times submission that the idea came to her and Mike shortly after Halloween 2025, when the two decided they wanted to "show up in a huge way" for the neighborhood. The motivation runs deeper than seasonal decoration. When Mars Wrigley recently closed its factory at 2019 N. Oak Park Ave. — the candy giant that, for years, handed out enormous quantities of candy and drew hundreds, if not thousands, of trick-or-treaters to the area — the Jendros felt the neighborhood's Halloween identity needed a champion. "I truly believe Galewood loves Halloween more than any Chicago neighborhood," Susie wrote, adding that she and Mike want to welcome every family that used to visit the Mars factory back to continue their Halloween traditions in Galewood.
The Johnnie's Beef connection is no accident. The real Johnnie's Beef is a short distance from the Jendros' home, and the couple describe themselves as big fans. "What better way to celebrate the season and one of Chicago's finest dining establishments," Susie said in her Sun-Times feature, "than to turn our yard into a haunted homage?" The result — dubbed "Jaw-knee's Beef" — is a playful, community-minded tribute that blends neighborhood loyalty with Halloween creativity in a way that feels distinctly Galewood.
The Sun-Times recognition lands at a meaningful moment for the neighborhood. Mars Wrigley's Boo Bash at the Oak Park Avenue factory was a Galewood Halloween institution — a free candy giveaway that brought the community together every October and turned the surrounding streets into one of the city's most festive trick-or-treat corridors. With that tradition now gone as the site moves toward landmark designation and redevelopment, the Jendros' instinct to step into that void — to invite families back and keep the block alive with Halloween energy — captures something important about how Galewood operates. When something leaves, a neighbor steps up.
If you want to see the display for yourself, Halloween is Friday, October 31 — one day away. Susie Jendro's Sun-Times submission makes clear that all are welcome: "All ghouls big and small, young and old, spooky or sparkly are welcome to Galewood on Halloween." The candy, she promises, is plentiful.
For residents who want to keep Galewood's community spirit going year-round, Galewood Neighbors, Inc. — the nonprofit at 1651 N. Natchez Ave. that organizes everything from the annual Galewoodstock music festival to the Mars Wrigley redevelopment advocacy — welcomes new members at galewoodneighbors.org. Household memberships start at $20. The Jendros showed what one household can do for a neighborhood's morale. Imagine what the whole block can do.
Sources:
1. https://chicago.suntimes.com/arts-and-culture/2026/10/28/chicago-best-halloween-displays