Things to Do in Downtown Homewood This Summer at Martin Square

Most south suburbs run on a monthly cadence. One big festival in July, a fall fest in October, a tree lighting in December, and long quiet stretches in between. Homewood is the exception, and this summer makes the pattern obvious.

The village hosts over 60 outdoor events annually at the recently completed Martin Avenue Square, which is roughly one every six days if you spread them evenly across the season. That is not a festival calendar. That is a routine. And if you live here, the routine is what makes a Saturday in June feel different from a Saturday in Matteson or Flossmoor or Hazel Crest.

Here is the thesis for the summer ahead: downtown Homewood is no longer a place you visit for the big weekend. It is a place with a weekly heartbeat, and 2026 is the year the pieces finally line up on the same block.

The Saturday anchor

The Outdoor Farmers Market returns for what the village counts as its 41st year. The 2026 season kicks off Saturday, May 30, and runs every Saturday through October 10 (except July 4) from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Martin Square in downtown Homewood.

Two things are different this year. First, the footprint. On select Saturdays the market will expand to include more than 50 vendors and extend onto Chestnut Road, offering shoppers more room to explore. That matters if you have shown up in past summers and found the produce line backed into the flower stall. Second, the mix. Shoppers can expect a diverse mix of farm-fresh produce, locally sourced meats, artisan breads, cheeses, honey, handcrafted goods and specialty items, including vegan foods and skincare products.

For residents who have never bothered with the vintage side of the market, look for the Homewood Hunt & Gather Market, a vintage style and handmade market set within the Farmers Market that pops up on Saturdays from May through October, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It runs in the same window as the produce stalls, so a single Saturday visit gets you tomatoes, sourdough, and a set of reclaimed shutters if that is what your porch needs.

The market is also the reason the indoor season exists at all. Winter markets run Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road, with vendors offering microgreens, olive oils, pasta sauces, baked goods, chocolates, popcorn, and artisans. Most suburbs let their market die when the leaves turn. Homewood does not.

Summer 2026 at a glance

The block party dates come from the village directly. Join us on Thursday, June 25 2026, Thursday, July 30, 2026 and Friday, August 28, 2026 for food, music, games, and fun; block parties start at 6 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. Put them in your calendar now. They are the kind of thing you forget about until you drive down Ridge and see the barricades.

What is new on the block since last summer

Three additions have quietly changed the downtown footprint over the past six months.

• 3B Burger-Bird-Brews House, 18755 Dixie Highway. Owner Antoine Washington purchased the former Cilantro Cocina Mexicana property in February and plans to open the burgers, chicken and beer concept there by May. Washington already owns 20 other restaurants across the southwest suburbs, and the plan is to franchise the brand, with another location going up in Posen. If it hits the May opening, it will land the same weekend the market season starts, which is either great timing or a parking test.
• House of Glam salon suites, 18110 Martin Ave. Trustees approved a request from 23-year-old Jaya Pittman to operate salon suites inside a three-story mixed-use building; the 2,000-square-foot space was previously occupied by a massage therapy center. Services will include waxes and nail services, plus facials and eyelash extensions.
• A new downtown fitness center on Harwood Avenue. The Village Board approved a special-use permit at its Nov. 25 meeting for a 5,000-square-foot fitness center space in the downtown area.

Add those to the anchors already in walking distance of Martin Square. Local businesses include Stoney Point Grill, Starbucks, UpsaDaisy Boutique, LouLou Belle, The Villager Gift Shop, The Rock Shop, Blue Pearl Candles, Aurelio's Pizza, Gaia's Market & Refillery, Grady's Snake & Dine, Mahogany House Candles, Asian Harbor, Primo's Cafe, Twisted Q BBQ, 69 Prime Steakhouse, La Banque Hotel, Copper Still Martini Bar, Lassen's Tap, 5th Quarter Press Room & Eatery, EMPANADUS, Zone Comics & Games, GoodSpeed Cycles, and Homewood Brewing Company. That is a lot of doors on a short walk.

The evening layer

The farmers market gets the marketing attention, but the evening programming is what actually distinguishes summer here from summer in most of the south suburbs. Homewood's busy events season also includes Drivin' the Dixie, The Art & Garden Street Fair, Starry Nights Concerts, Dog Days of Summer, and Downtown Homewood's Fall Fest, with live entertainment, shopping and dining, and all-around family fun.

If you are new to the neighborhood, here is the shorthand. Drivin' the Dixie is the classic car show that closes Dixie Highway. The Art & Garden Fair is the June weekend when Martin Avenue turns into a walking gallery. Starry Nights is the live-music evening series. Dog Days of Summer is exactly what it sounds like and is worth attending even if you do not own a dog. Fall Fest closes the outdoor calendar in October.

"The Homewood Farmers Market has been a beloved tradition for generations, and we're excited to build on that legacy with an expanded footprint and even more to offer our residents and visitors. From longtime favorites to new vendors and experiences, there's something for everyone to enjoy each Saturday." — Events Manager Marla Youngblood, quoted in the village's April announcement

That "expanded footprint" phrase is doing a lot of work. It is the tell that the village is investing in the density of the downtown, not just the frequency of the events.

Where to send out-of-town guests

Every resident gets the same question in July. Cousin visiting from Indianapolis, sister-in-law flying into Midway, parents driving up from downstate. Where do you take them for a Saturday that shows off the neighborhood without making them drive 30 minutes back into the city?

Here is a route that uses only what is walking distance from the Metra station:

Start at the market at 9 a.m. for coffee from a vendor and a walk through the Chestnut Road extension. Detour two blocks to the Homewood Science Center, which draws visitors from the surrounding areas and Chicago for education and cultural experiences, and to see the world's largest collection of Richard Haas Trompe-l'oeil murals. Loop back for lunch at one of the downtown anchors. If your guests want a nicer dinner, book 69 Prime or Maple Tree Inn. If they want a brewery afternoon, Homewood Brewing Company handles that. If they want a boutique hotel stay, La Banque, a boutique hotel on the site of a former bank, and the adjacent green space on Martin Avenue Square is the answer without leaving the block.

That whole route is under a mile of walking. Try building it in most nearby suburbs and you end up in a car.

The bigger picture for people who already live here

Homewood sits just 25 miles from Downtown Chicago and less than a mile from three major interstate highways (I-57, I-80 and I-294). That geography has always been the practical argument for the neighborhood. Fast train, quick highway, real downtown.

What has changed is the downtown itself. The zoning ordinance recently added a use category the village calls "Artisan Manufacturing and Assembly," which allows for craft maker spaces in the B-2 zoning district, aimed at the former manufacturing and warehouse buildings along Harwood Avenue and the train tracks, once a local center of warehousing and distribution for brands like Spornette Brushes. Translation: the industrial buildings you walk past on the way to the Metra are on a legal pathway to become studios, workshops, and shops. That is why the fitness center on Harwood was approved, and it is why the next few summers will keep adding to the walkable inventory rather than pulling back from it.

For residents, the practical takeaway is small but real. If you have been treating downtown as a place you dip into for one event a summer, the calendar is now dense enough to justify a standing Saturday habit. Market at 9, coffee after, dinner in the block party crowd once a month. That is the rhythm the village has been building toward, and 2026 is the year it clicks into place.

If you have been thinking about how your Homewood block fits into all of this, or you are eyeing one of the older masonry two-flats along Dixie now that Artisan Manufacturing is on the table, Anthony Kirkland can talk you through what the downtown momentum means for your street specifically. Let's Connect.