Please join Ald. La Spata, Intuit Healing, and LoSAH Center of Hope at Maplewood Park for an afternoon of yoga! This event will encourage community members to take a break, relax, and recharge through yoga and guided meditation. Please bring your own yoga mat and water bottle. No registration required.
Join Ald. Daniel La Spata at the West Town Library for a morning of children’s books and storytelling! This event is perfect for young readers and their parents/guardians. No registration required.
Our annual Shred-A-Thon is back! Bring your boxes of old documents to the parking lot of St. Aloysius where one of Midway Document Destruction’s mobile shredding trucks will quickly and safely dispose of them. Prescription pill takeback and electronic recycling will also be available! This event is in collaboration with Senator Omar Aquino and Representative Eva-Dina Delgado.
Join the 1st Ward Office and Openlands for our annual Tree Stewardship Day! Maintaining a healthy urban canopy is vital to the well-being of our community by improving our air quality, supporting biodiversity, reducing the risk of flooding, & more!
Bring gloves, appropriate clothing, a water bottle and tools if you have them. Mulching tools will be provided. Register here.
Swing by Bungalow by Middle Brow for an evening with your local elected officials, including Ald. La Spata, State Representative Will Guzzardi (39th District), Cook County Commissioner Jessica Vasquez (8th District), State Senator Graciela Guzman (20th District), and special guest Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (3rd District)!
Join Ald. Daniel La Spata, State Sen. Omar Aquino and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado for a fun morning of dominoes! In partnership with La Familia Domino League, children (ages 6-18) will learn rules, basic strategies, and practice through friendly matches. Registration required, space is limited! Register here.
Join Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Ald. La Spata, and other elected officials for a Mobile DMV event at the West Town Library. Residents will have the opportunity to obtain a driver’s license or state ID (standard or Real ID) and purchase a license plate sticker.* For a full list of acceptable documents, please visit www.ilsos.gov. Make your appointment here.
* Please note that written and road tests will not be available at this event.
Join the 1st Ward Office for our annual Clean & Green! Rakes, shovels, garbage bags, and latex gloves will be provided, and all ages are welcome to participate. This year’s starting points will be: The 1st Ward Office, Haas Park, and the Polish Triangle. Please register in advance so that we know how many tools to provide at each location. Register here!
Join Ald. La Spata and Cook County Commissioner Degnen for our annual Spring Bike Tune-Up event! We’ll be at Pulaski Park with mechanics from The Recyclery generously volunteering their time to get 1st Ward/12th District bikers ready for the warm weather. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ups will be accepted. Click here to make your appointment!
Join the 1st Ward Office and the Wicker Park Advisory Council for a day of service! Help us clean and care for local parks across the ward so they remain safe, welcoming spaces for everyone. Volunteers will kick off the day at Wicker Park, where you’ll pick up supplies like gloves and garbage bags before heading out to your assigned park. Register here!
Volunteers are then invited back to Wicker Park for greenfest, an eco-friendly, sustainability-focused festival with vendors, live music, and more!
In partnership with Islamic Relief USA and the Mayor’s Office of Community Safety, the 1st Ward Office will be distributing hot meals to residents at no cost. Meal distribution will begin at 3:00 PM and continue until all meals have been claimed.
Join the 1st Ward Office and the Wicker Park Advisory Council for some bingo on Tuesday, March 10 at the Wicker Park Fieldhouse! There will be food, music, prizes, and more. Hope to see you there!
Seniors across the 1st Ward are invited to a special Valentine's Day Brunch in coordination with other Northwest Side Elected Officials. Join us for a fun-filled celebration of our golden agers on Friday, February 13th at 12:30pm. Attendees are asked to register here if they plan to attend or to call our office at 872-206-2685 so that we can register you. We hope to see you there!
This event is in partnership with Ald. Jessie Fuentes, Senator Omar Aquino, Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado and Rep. Lilian Jimenez.
The 1st Ward Office is hosting a virtual meeting to discuss Serve and Coco food delivery robots as these companies seek to expand their operations in the ward. 1st Ward neighbors are invited to share their thoughts and opinions on this business model. To register, please email zoning@the1stward.com.
The 1st Ward office is partnering with PUñO (Pilsen Unidos por Nuestro Orgullo) to provide a rapid response training. Please note this training will take between 2-2.5 hours. Snacks and refreshments will be provided. After the training, neighbors are invited to stay and make their own whistle packet kit and build community together! Register for additional details (time and location).
Help the 1st Ward staff wrap gifts for local families at our first Wrapping Mixer! Snacks, refreshments, wrapping supplies, and holiday cheer will be provided. RSVP here.
Help give 1st Ward families a wonderful holiday season! The 1st Ward office has partnered with several elementary schools in our communities to coordinate a holiday gift drive for families in need. The majority of these families have been negatively impacted by immigration activity, are facing food insecurities, or are experiencing other hardships this holiday season.
If you would like to participate in the toy drive, check out the wishlist items here!
Once you choose which gift you'd like to order, please have the item shipped to your own address and join us on December 13th from 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. for a wrapping party and mixer! If you're not able to join us on the 13th, feel free to bring the gift to the 1st Ward office during normal operating hours before the mixer. Our hours are Monday – Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
When purchasing an item, please write in the notes during check out which family you would like this to be for. Several families have the same or similar items in their wishlist, so it will help us make sure the gift is going to the correct person. You can see which family requested it by reading the notes on the item in the wishlist.
Once a gift has been purchased, click the “Reserve Gift” button on Listful to let others know the item has been purchased and avoid potential duplicates.
If you prefer to purchase your gift in person, please email info@the1stward.com to let us know the details of your purchased item, so that we may mark it as reserved on our end.
If you are unable to donate any gifts, your time would be equally valuable! Please join fellow volunteers at a wrapping party and mixer at the 1st Ward office (1958 N Milwaukee Ave) from Saturday, December 13th. Holiday-themed beverages will be provided :)
Join your local elected officials for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway to show our appreciation for senior residents! Plus, get ready for cold & flu season with free vaccines provided by Jewel-Osco. **Limit one turkey per household. While supplies last.**
Join your local elected officials for a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway to show our appreciation for senior residents! Plus, get ready for cold & flu season with free vaccines provided by Walgreens. **Limit one turkey per household. While supplies last.**
Join the 1st Ward Office, Secretary of State Giannoulias, Rep. Delgado, and Sen. Aquino for a Mobile DMV event at St. Aloysius-Thiele Center. Drivers licenses, REAL IDs and standard state IDs (first time, renewal, duplicate, correction) will all be available to residents. Vehicle registration and licence plate stickers also available. For a full list of acceptable documents, please visit ILSOS.gov. Please note written and road tests will not be available.
Make an appointment at bit.ly/EDDdmv.
Join the 1st Ward Office and Arise Chicago for a Know Your Rights presentation for business owners. Please register for the event using this form and let us know if you have any questions or comments you'd like to note in advance. Exact time and location will be provided upon registration.
Join the 1st Ward Office and the Wicker Park Bucktown Chamber of Commerce for the final pedestrianization event of this pilot series. Learn more at the1stward.com/mmom.
Cook County Commissioners Steele and Vasquez are hosting a Property Tax Appeal Seminar to assist residents of the West Chicago Township with filing property tax appeals. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and attendees will be free to meet with analysts to ask questions and/or file an appeal. A presentation will take place at 6:00 p.m. Registration is not required, but highly recommended. Register here.
Please have your property tax bill or Property Index Number (PIN) available at the event!
Join Ald. La Spata and the Chicago Park District for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of construction of Park 399! 1st Ward residents chose to fund this project through participatory budgeting and voted on the final design of the project.
Our annual Back to School Bash taking place on Saturday, August 9th at Pulaski Park! There’ll be all kinds of kid-friendly fun and all of it is 100% FREE. Swing by for:
Backpack giveaway
Books from Bernie’s Book Bank
Face painting
Bouncy house
Live music
Lincoln Park Zoo pollinators
& more!
Mobile City Hall is coming to the 1st Ward! The Office of the Clerk is bringing City services directly to the community, allowing residents to access government services, receive a free CityKey ID, purchase City Stickers and guest passes, and more. Learn more about the Mobile City Hall initiative here, and we look forward to seeing you there!
Join Alderman La Spata and State Senator Graciela Guzman at Haas Park for a community clean-up of the park between 10:00 a.m. and noon followed by an ice cream social from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m! All supplies necessary for the clean-up will be provided by the 1st Ward Office.
Our annual Shred-A-Thon is back! Bring your boxes of old documents to the parking lot of St. Aloysius where one of Midway Document Destruction’s mobile shredding trucks will quickly and safely dispose of them. Prescription pill takeback and electronic recycling will also be available! This event is in collaboration with Senator Omar Aquino and Representative Eva-Dina Delgado.
Join Ald. Daniel La Spata at Volumes Bookcafe for a morning of children’s books and storytelling! This event is perfect for young readers and their parents/guardians. Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let your imagination soar!
Join the 1st Ward Office and Openlands for a mulching event to help maintain our urban canopy on Milwaukee Avenue. All supplies will be provided, and no previous gardening or tree-keeping experience is required! Please register here.
We’re keeping up the momentum from our first Clean & Green in April and hosting another one on Saturday, May 17 from 10:00 a.m. to noon! Join the 1st Ward Office to help pick up litter, clear storm drains, and continue our work to keep the community clean and welcoming for everyone. All tools will be provided (rakes, shovels, garbage bags, latex gloves), and volunteers of all ages are welcome!
Meet up locations for this event will be the 1st Ward Office (1958 N. Milwaukee) or Pulaski Park (1419 W. Blackhawk). Please register at bit.ly/May17CleanUp so we know how many supplies to provide at each location.
Our nation is currently facing a critical blood shortage, and your support can make a life-saving difference. Just one donor can help save up to three patients in need of vital blood transfusions.
The 1st Ward is proud to partner with The Community Blood Center in this essential effort, taking action to uplift those in need. Join us on Tuesday, April 29th, at the West Town Library and become a donor! Please schedule an appointment at bit.ly/1stWardBloodDrive.
Get ready to ride! Join us for our annual Bike Tune-Up event and make sure your bike is in top shape for spring and summer. Get a free basic tune-up, including tire inflation, brake checks, and chain lubrication. Whether you're a daily commuter or weekend rider, come by for some expert care and get your wheels rolling smoothly.
All ages and bike types welcome. First come, first served (no registration required). Don’t miss it!
This event is co-sponsored by Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen (District 12), Bike Lane Uprising, The Recyclery, and the CTA.
Grab your friends, family, and neighbors and help make a difference in our communities—one piece of litter at a time—at our first community Clean Up event of the year!
📅 Date: Saturday, April 5th
⏰ Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
📍Meeting Points: 1st Ward Office, Haas Park, OR Wicker Park
Don’t worry about bringing anything, we’ll provide all the necessary equipment. Let’s come together to make the 1st Ward cleaner, greener, and more beautiful! Register at bit.ly/CleanUpApril5.
