Community members from around Logan Square gather at Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

By Dominic Guanzon

Saturday, 8/30/25

LOGAN SQUARE, CHICAGO — Over 30 locals gathered for the first Labor Day Fest at Paradise Community Garden in west Logan Square. The event was put on by General Strike US’ Illinois chapter, in cooperation with Logan Square Mutual Aid.

Located just a 20-minute walk from the bustle of Milwaukee Avenue, including The Whistler, organizers welcomed anyone walking by the lot. Those that took them up on their offer were welcomed to a cookout, button-making, zine-folding, labor history discussion, children’s story time, and a place to lounge in general.

One attendee rolled in their smoker to cook burgers and veggie shish kabobs, as others brought in their piece of the spread.

A member of General Strike US’ Illinois’ chapter shows locals how to make buttons and fold zines. Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

Zines, pamphlets, and stickers, including the “Who Shares the Restroom Code with ICE Agents?” zine from Marc Fischer, aka “Public Collectors Library,” (left). Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

A mutual aid table was set up in the corner, with an open invite for people to drop off and take whatever they need. One participant recovered 24 backpacks from a store that was about to throw them out for no other reason than too many were made. They would go on to fill each backpack with school supplies before dropping them all off at the mutual aid table.

“Protests are important, but protests won’t do much if they’re not followed up with other types of organization,” said General Strike Illinois’ Abigail, who was part of the horizontally-structured group that organized the Fest.

An attendee dropped off 24 backpacks that were recovered from a store that was about to throw them out due to their status as old merchandise. The person would go on to fill each one with school supplies. Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

“With mutual aid…the idea is that anybody gives what they have, what they can, and anybody can receive whatever it is that they need or want. You can say, ‘hey, I need this weird supply. Does anybody have a bunch of, like, leftover bottle caps?’ And people will give you a bunch of leftover bottle caps or baby food or wedding decor, or whatever. It becomes this kind of circular gift economy-type thing.”

One of eight to 10 volunteer gardeners that tend to the garden. Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

The flowers and bushes that line the garden are maintained by a group of about eight to 10 people, who have been taking turns over the past three years to tend to it. One gardener has made it his mission to place down brick lining for the past several weeks after work, including during the Fest itself, taking breaks to join in festivities.

Attendees gather as Carrie (red hair, center second photo) from GSUS discusses labor concepts and history. Paradise Community Garden, 8/30/25.

At around 16:00, attendees gathered around the garden’s white gazebo, as Carrie from GSUS led a discussion on history. She introduced concepts such as asserting boundaries and organizing.

Concerns about the looming threat of President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard were present, but remained in the background as families and locals celebrated.

“Chicago Food Sovereignty Coalition has free stores open, and people who come are potential ICE targets,” said Abigail. “We have somebody on ICE watch. So there’s somebody outside the building keeping an eye on all the cars that are coming through, and then has a plan for if ICE shows up.”

A local stop sign marked with “ICE” underneath the word “stop.” Logan Square, 8/30/25.

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