Experimental Station

THE PORTAL returns with a dynamic lineup to celebrate STAND UP & IMPROV COMEDY in Chicago! Tuesday, May 19th | 7-10p @expstation - 6100 S Blackstone Ave FREE 🫧 Engage with 3 improv collectives curated by @thatsmaxthomas @thegarden_chi , @whoallovertherecomedy . 🫧 Enjoy a featured interview with comedic powerhouse @justnesh moderated by @binkey1 . 🫧 @hacc_chicago will be in the building to share more about HEALTHCARE FOR CHICAGO COMEDIANS. …and so much more! Free Food Gaming Community Building Live Band & Jam Session Interactive Media Vendors Community Art Wall Our May edition is sponsored by @eatorgchicago . THE PORTAL series is made possible by @fieldfoundation and @illinoisartscouncil , and in partnership with Experimental Station. #everythingisfrequency

The 2025 Increasing Food Access Report is now available. This report marks 18 years of Experimental Station building healthier communities through food access, education, and systems change. This work is only possible thanks to our dedicated team, partners, collaborators, supporters, vendors, educators, volunteers, and community members across Illinois. Check out the impact of Link Up Illinois and the 61st Street Farmers Market in the full 2025 Increasing Food Access Report at expstation.org/2025foodaccess ❤️

Need to tune up your bike? Stop by Open Shop at Blackstone Bicycle Works. We’ve got the tools you need—and volunteers ready to help you fine-tune your bike. ☀️ Summer Season Every Saturday, 10am–12pm, starting May 16 through December, alongside the 61st Street Farmers Market @61market (except public holidays). ❄️ Winter Season Open Wednesdays year-round and on the second Saturday of each month from January through April. DM us if you have any questions!

Our 61st Street Farmers Market returns outdoors this Saturday! ☀️🌱 Alongside 30+ vendors offering fresh produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and locally made products, we’ll also have fun and educational market activities for you to participate in every week. Whether you come alone, with friends, or with family, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. ✨ Weekly Activities: 🥘 Chef Demo at 10:30 AM 🌱 Market School from 10 AM–1 PM 🌼 Sprout Station from 10 AM–1 PM 🚲 Blackstone Bicycle Works’ Open Shop from 10 AM–12 PM The outdoor market season runs through October 31. 📍 Market entrance at 61st & Dorchester 🕘 Saturdays | 9 AM – 2 PM For our SNAP customers, we accept SNAP and match your SNAP purchases through Link Match. Look for the red tent in the middle of the market on 61st Street to use your SNAP benefits and get matched for fresh fruits and vegetables. Sign up for our newsletter for weekly updates! Link in bio! #farmersmarkets #chicago #localbusiness #veganfood #organicfood #61market

Fun and creative events you can join this May at Experimental Station! 🎭 Ritual by Julian Otis Part of Blank Box by @homeroomchicago 📅 May 15 | 8–9:30 PM If you're reading this, you are a part of Ritual. Meditate on the Elements of Life. Earth. Water. Fire. Mineral. We take you on a Journey of Remembering through the lens of Black Inspirational Music as we explore our somatic map of care, singing through the healing elements while creating the conditions to grow new life. Walk away changed and Ready to Grow. 🎶 The Portal by @chi_brations An artist-led night of music, creativity, and connection 📅 May 19 | 7–10 PM 🎼 MonteCristo2020 by Hyde Park Community Players @hpcplayers_real An original musical with book & lyrics by Susan Harris and music by Bill Hohnke 📅 May 29–31 & June 5–7 🕖 Fri & Sat at 7 PM | Sun at 2 PM 🥕 The @61market returns outdoors! Fresh produce, local vendors, chef demos, and community activities 📅 Saturdays | 9 AM–2 PM 🚲 Open Shop at Blackstone Bicycle Works @blackstonebikes Free tools and volunteer support to help you tune up your bike 📅 Saturdays | 10 AM–12 PM We hope to see you at one of these events, or at the market every week 🤭😍! #experimentalstation #events #chicago

What an incredible turnout for our movie night! 🎬✨ Thank you all for joining us for an evening of film, conversation, and community at Experimental Station. Stay tuned to see what we’ll be screening next in June 👀 If you haven’t already, follow us and @commonthreadschi Common Threads for future events at Experimental Station, and sign up for our newsletter through the link in bio to stay updated on upcoming films, arts events, community gatherings, and more. #chicago #arts #events #experimentalstation #film

FAB Night was last week, and we had a wonderful time. We are deeply grateful for your support, your partnership, your friendship—and for singing along with us throughout the evening. A special thank you to our incredible speakers: ✨ Greg Wade, @publicanqualitybread ✨ Monica Chadha @civicprojectsarchitecture ✨ Lional “Brother El” Freeman @thebrothernamedel ✨ Dave Simmons @rideillinois ✨ Ben Jaffe @earthlorefarm ✨ Danielle McKinnie @sscritmass And to our musician of the night, @zionaliofficial , who brought so much positive energy and joy to the room, and chef Constance Simms-Kincaid, whose delicious meal made the evening even more special. We look forward to continuing these meaningful conversations and connections as we advance food access, youth opportunities, and arts and community enrichment through the 61st Street Farmers Market @61market , Link Up Illinois @linkupil , Blackstone Bicycle Works @blackstonebikes , cultural events, and independent journalism. #chicago #illinois #youtheducation #experimentalstation

Homeroom Chicago is excited to present the newest iteration of BlankBox on May 15 at Experimental Station! "Ritual" is a multimedia performance by multidisciplinary artist, creative vocalist, and composer Julian Otis, in collaboration with Naydja Bruton, Paige Brown, Gabriel Lochard, Scott Rubin, and Kezia Waters. If you're reading this, you are a part of Ritual. Meditate on the Elements of Life. Earth. Water. Fire. Mineral. We take you on a Journey of Remembering through the lens of Black Inspirational Music as we explore our somatic map of care, singing through the healing elements while creating the conditions to grow new life. Walk away changed and Ready to Grow. Friday, May 15, 2026 8pm doors, 8:30pm performance $20 suggested donation Experimental Station, 6100 S Blackstone Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 See you there Chicago!

Blackstone Bicycle Works (BBW) is seeking a Temporary Full-Time Summer Camp Youth Program Instructor for a 10-week position running from June 8 to August 14, 2026. Working Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the instructor will work closely with BBW Program Managers to support and lead summer camp sessions for youth ages 14–18. Responsibilities include - mentoring participants, - assisting with technical bicycle instruction, and - helping manage daily operations of the “Wrench & Ride” curriculum. The first week of employment is dedicated to training. See details at /jobs or link in bio.

Movie Night: Saving Face This Thursday, May 7, 7–10 PM | 6100 S. Blackstone Ave Directed by Alice Wu, Saving Face is a romantic comedy-drama that blends love, family pressure, and cultural expectations within the Chinese American community. Hosted in collaboration with Common Threads, a film series centering queer POC stories, this movie night is part of Ground Rules—our community series focused on connection, curiosity, and meaningful dialogue. This series is supported by the Field Foundation of Illinois. ✨ Refreshments will be provided! | 🎟 Free & open to all

THIS SUNDAY: Art/Access Lab: Know Your Rights Sunday, April 26 2:00-4:00pm 📍in person at @expstation 👨🏿‍💻or RSVP for the zoom link Details in bio DM us to volunteer! Presented by @unfoldingdisabilityfutures and @highconceptlabs In Partnership with @accessliving and @cuerposjustificados With special guests: @christopherramos @werdmvmnt @genevieveramos.art How can we know—and claim—our rights related to disability, immigration, free speech? How can we use our creative practice to navigate, share, and defend these rights? This community gathering invites artists with disabilities and allies to learn about our rights and use art to help defend these rights for ourselves and others. Blending practical information with artistic activities, this interactive event aims to build solidarity and create resources to share with neighbors, friends, and colleagues. Chris Ramos of Access Living will guide us through our rights, offering special attention to the intersection of disability rights and immigration rights, and how these rights apply to disabled immigrants who encounter immigration officials. Then we’ll invite attendees to create mini-zines for community distribution, contribute to a collaborative artwork, and to screenprint and embellish protest posters. Virtual participants can contribute to a digital zine via Canva or join a breakout room to discuss and share accessible mutual aid efforts and resources. Through these activities, we strengthen our ability to protect ourselves, support our community, and participate in collective resistance.

🎶✨ Introducing our musician for FAB Night! We’re excited to share that @zionaliofficial will be performing at this year’s fundraiser—bringing powerful energy, storytelling, and sound to the night. Join us for Zion’s performance alongside an evening of conversation with leaders in food justice, bicycle advocacy, and the arts—hosted by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Jamie Kalven—and enjoy a curated three-course meal by award-winning chef Constance Simms-Kincaid. 📅 April 30 | 6–9 PM 📍 Experimental Station 🎟️ Tickets available now: expstation.org/fabnight This fundraiser supports Experimental Station’s work to advance food access, youth opportunities, and arts and community enrichment through the 61st Street Farmers Market, Link Up Illinois, Blackstone Bicycle Works, cultural events, and independent journalism.