When: Saturday December 6, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Details: Join your neighbors for a warm morning of decorating tree "cookies" in the field house. What are tree cookies, you ask? Tree cookies are made by slicing any tree log an inch or so thick. Once cut, you still have the bark on the outer ring and you can see the beautiful inner rings. We'll drill a hole in the cookie so you can hang it up in your home. 

Each 'Tree Cookie Kit' comes with one tree cookie and one string/ribbon to tie on in order to hang the cookie. We will have paint, markers, glue and other various supplies available to decorate your "cookie" along with many natural items found in the park! We will also have some treats to nibble and some hot cocoa to sip on as you make a decoration to cherish for years to come!

This event is FREE TO JOIN - All ages welcome to decorate!

Please register by using the form above to let us know you're coming. 

This event has passed. Thank you to all of the famiies and friends of the park that came out to decorate tree cookies! We had a fun morning painting and gluing as well as playing with park toys while eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa. We hope everyone had a connected holiday season and we hope to see you out in the park this winter. Happy New Year!

When: Saturday November 29, 10:00 - 12:00pm

Details: We've got some work to do before the ground freezes! All are welcome to join us in transplanting our very own Oak Sapling, kindly donated by The Friends of Waters Garden through Waters Elementary. 

The sapling will be showcased in the current rose garden that sits proudly on the South side of the park at Lawrence and Washtenaw. Over time, as the rose bushes continue to naturally die off, the small sapling will grow into a mighty oak, providing shade and protection to humans and wildlife alike. 

Things we will accomplish : 

• Remove mulch in rose garden

• Dig up sapling at Waters

• Plant sapling in rose garden

• Build a fence around the sapling

• Install donation placard 

Tools will be provided. Please bring your own gloves if you need them.

Let us know you plan on helping by using the form above.

This event has passed. GPAC members came together during our first snowstorm to prune and plant - what an exciting morning! Be sure to check out our newest little oak sappling planted proudly in the rose garden on Lawrence.

When: Monday November 24, 5:00 - 7:00pm

Details: Bring your dinner and chairs to the park to join us for a cozy fire before the infamous Chicago winter begins to blow its chilly frost through our streets and parks. We supply the fire, you bring the neighborhood warmth! 

The Nature Oasis Community Bonfire Series invites community members to experience their park by firelight. Spend the evening in the park meeting your neighbors, learning about local wildlife and warming up next to a fire! Join within the first 15 minutes of the event for a brief lesson on campfire building.

Gross Park Advisory Council will be providing the fixin's for s'mores for those with a sweet tooth. We'll also have some music from a neighborhood band going in the background to keep your body swaying and building heat. All ages are welcome - See you there!

This event is free and registration is not required, but you could let us know if you plan on coming by using the form above.

This event has passed. Thank you to all of those that came out on one of our last mild Fall evenings. We had a great time roasting marshmallows, making s'mores, learning about various local wildlife and playing in the park. We hope to be bring another event like this to the park in the coming year! Thank you so much to The Chicago Park District Nature Oasis program for putting on such a lovely event! 

When: Thursday August 28, 6:00 - 7:30pm

Details: Bring your dinner to the park and sway with your neighbors while you listen to the tropical sounds of Chicago's Na Kupuna Ukulele Club. Na Kupuna means “elder” in the Hawaiian language and was started by a group of Hawaiian-American seniors. Together, the group of island and mainland born seniors sing, strum the ukulele and dance the hula to over 300 songs, including iconic Hawaiian classics like “Aloha Oe”, “Blue Hawaii”, “Hawaiian Wedding Song”, and “Kaulana Na Pua”. Come at 6 to grab a good spot and a lei to set the mood (free for the first 50 attendees) -- The music starts at 6:30!

 Na Kupuna Club Chicago Website 

This event has passed. What a beautiful evening shared with neighbors. Na Kupuna enamored the old and young alike as they played Hawaiian classics as well as some modern hits. Thank you to all the neighbors that joined us on such a beautiful summer night as we all envisioned a rainbow together in our very own beautiful Gross Park. 

This event has passed. Thank you to all who joined in the dance lesson and enjoyed the beautiful summer evening in the park. You made the evening a big success. 

This event has passed. A big thank you to all our neighbors who came out on this chilly windy day -- at least we had the sun! We were able to collect loads of micro trash, spread much needed mulch around our beloved trees and high use areas, and we even had some neighbors rebuild a wattle fence around a community maintained corner garden. We're grateful for neighbors like you!