Carthage in Chicago - Weekly Blog by Carolyn Kick ’16 (9/16/14)
A Weekend Adventure in Pilsen
This weekend CiC students had the chance to go on a walking tour of a Chicago neighborhood with a rich ethnic history, Pilsen. After hopping on the Pink Line of the L we arrived in Pilsen in a mere 20 minutes, and immediately found ourselves immersed into another world of culture, art, and community.
As we ventured into the streets of Pilsen our tour guide was quick to point out a wall of murals featuring important figures in Mexican-American history including Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Carlos Santana, and many more. The murals were beautiful to look at but also helped paint a picture of how the bustling community of Pilsen came to be.
Beyond art, we also got to experience the lively people of Pilsen. We happened to be visiting on the day Pilsen celebrates Mexican Independence Day–which made for some pretty cool celebrations! The streets were lined with vendors selling Mexican flags, soccer jerseys, and treats like churros. As we got closer to the heart of the city we got the chance to see the parade which featured traditional Mexican dancers, groups of high school students performing, and even Mexican cowboys on horses.
Our tour ended at a famous Mexican restaurant, Los Comales, where we ate lunch together. Throughout lunch we got to continue to experience the sights and sounds of the festivities outside, all while enjoying incredibly authentic salsa, tacos, and guacamole.
Following lunch we made a quick stop at a nearby pasteleria, picking up some Mexican treats like gorditas dulces, pastel de queso, and piedras to bring back to the Hostel with us. Before hopping back on the Pink Line we all agreed, we’ll be back to Pilsen soon for the beautiful sights, fun people, and delicious tacos!