Accomplishments & Past Events

Over 30 volunteers joined the PAC as part of the Chicago Park Foundation's "Its Your Park Day" to apply fresh woodchips to the trail in northern Challenger Park and to work with Friends of Challenger Bark to spread some fresh gravel in the dog park.

The trail looks so much nicer already with fresh woodchips!

Thank you to Uptown United for lending us your Polaris Ranger to help move the Woodchips and Chicago Parks Foundation for organizing the city-wide event!

New Buena Circle Community Posting Boards: Working with the Park District and the Uptown Special Services Area, the PAC was able to get two (2) new posting boards installed in Buena Circle Park! 

The posting boards in Buena Circle Park - paid for by the Uptown Special Services Area - will be leveraged to advertise community events held by the following organizations. Each of the below have received keys to the locked area.

• Buena Circle and Challenger Parks Advisory Council

• Chicago Park District

• Uptown Branch of the Chicago Public Library

• Friends of Challenger Bark

• Uptown Special Service Area

• Uptown United

• Buena Park Neighbors

Repaired Community Posting Boards in Challenger Park: At the PAC's urging the Park District repaired the 2 worn posting boards in Challenger Park that are located near the dog park. These 2 posting boards are to remain open to any community member to leverage for advertising events.

This balance between 2 curated boards in Buena Circle for community events, managed by specific groups, and the community posting board in Challenger Park allows for neighbors to engage with both forms of content and minimizing conflict over posting rules and regimes.

The water fountain by the Buena Circle Park playground was shut off in 2025 due to pipe Issues. The Buena Circle & Challenger Parks Advisory Council spent the last year lobbying the city and Park District to prioritize this fix. 

In February 2026 the Chicago Department of Water Management and Chicago Park District replaced much of the line that and connected the new line to the water main!

We look forward to having the water flowing once the weather warms up this spring!

A huge thank you to the city teams for their hard work on the ground this week to get these pipes replaced.

April 2026 Community Bonfire: Partnering with the Graceland Cemetery and Uptown United we brought back our well beloved  community bonfire in Buena Circle Park from the Fall of 2025. Held on April 21st from 6-8pm we had over 400 community members attending! This was even better attended than the Fall bonfire, which was the most attended of any of the Chicago Park District's community bonfires in 2025 to that point. 

Graceland Cemetery generously donated funds to cover the cost of s'mores, Uptown United granted us use of their fire pits for s'mores, and the PAC managed the fires, a local wildlife educator came to discuss Chicago's diverse wildlife, and the PAC tended to the fires whilst providing everyone s'mores materials!

October 2025 Community Bonfire: Partnering with the Chicago Park District and Graceland Cemetery we held a community bonfire in Buena Circle Park on October 15th from 5-7pm with over 350 community members attending! This was the most attended of any of the Chicago Park District's community bonfires in 2025 to that point. 

Graceland Cemetery generously donated funds to cover the cost of s'mores and the Chicago Park District managed the bonfire and brough local wildlife educators to discuss Chicago's diverse wildlife!

The PAC hosted a "Chip in for Challenger Event" on September 20th, 2025 which facilitated spreading woodchips along the pathway in the north section of Challenger Park. Bringing together ~25 volunteers. The path's integrity was greatly improved with this, and it is more visible, better for individuals to use, and much nicer looking! Thank you to all of our amazing volunteers and the Park District for donating woodchips.

"Its Your Park Day" Community Cleanup - May 2025: As part of the "Its Your Park Day" the PAC organized ~25 volunteers to spread woodchips in the Buena Circle playground, pick up trash, and spread mulch around all of the trees in Buena Circle and Challenger Parks!

The PAC's Events committee held a free fitness class series in Buena Circle Park in September and October with generous community member Lauren who, as a certified fitness instructor, ran the series.