Festivals, Fairs & Special Events, Museums, Galleries & Exhibitions
Grand Welcoming & Community Marketplace September 12, 2026
Join The Renaissance Collaborative (TRC) on Saturday, September 12, as we reopen the doors of the Historic Former Wabash YMCA to the Bronzeville community and beyond. This open house-style celebration marks a milestone moment: the unveiling of TRC’s first history education exhibits inside a building with deep local and national significance — the birthplace of Black History Month, where Carter G. Woodson and his peers first conceived Negro History Week in 1926.
Guests will get an inside look at the building’s ongoing revitalization, with the chance to see construction progress firsthand and learn about TRC’s vision for the site’s future. This event celebrates the unveiling of TRC’s first history education exhibits, a part of a k-12+ curriculum in development with the support of the National Trust for Historic Preservation via an African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund grant.
The day’s centerpiece is the Community Marketplace, featuring local vendors offering food, goods, and services alongside community resources and organizations. The first of four, the Community Marketplace will continue through June 2027.
Whether you’re drawn by the history, the marketplace, or the chance to be part of this Bronzeville landmark’s next chapter, the Grand Welcoming offers something for everyone — a celebration of legacy, community, and what’s ahead.
Location: Historic Former Wabash YMCA, 3757–3763 S. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60653
