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 Enjoy: Plant and Flower Shops!
Summer is in full bloom! Looking to add some more greenery to your life? Not only are they nice to look at, but having plants around can bring plenty of health benefits as well. Did you know Evanston has a wide variety of local florists and plant shops to turn your space into your own oasis, or to help you find that perfect gift?
Preston's Florist | Central Street: At Preston's Florist, expect to find an daily selection of fresh, lovely flower arrangements, artisan chocolates, stuffed animals, and balloons for all occasions. Whatever your preference, budget, or occasion, you can count on Preston's Florist to send gorgeous, fresh flowers to your friends and family.
MilleFiori Florist | Central Street: Run by husband and wife duo, Charlie and Tracy Mullenix since 2005, MilleFiori Florist has been serving Chicago’s North Shore with creative floral designs since 1996. Not only do they offer fresh flowers, but they carry a wide variety of green and blooming plants as well as an array of unique gift items.
West End Florist & Garden Center | Central Street: Blooming since 1908, West End Florist is a fourth generation family business and a strong advocate that flowers and plants benefit ourselves and society as a whole. They will help you enhance your surroundings -- making your lifestyle, hobby or vocation easier and more enjoyable!
Four Finches | Central Street: Always an avid gardener, Four Finches owner Peggy McAtamney transitioned from a career in fine dining to floral design. Now she uses her customer service skills, and art and design background, to create beautiful arrangements and events that impress.
Saville Flowers | Downtown: For four generations, Saville Flowers has been helping people in Evanston, Chicago, and surrounding suburbs celebrate all of life’s occasions with fresh, gorgeous flowers, connecting us to season and place with their delightful fragrance, delicate structure, and fleeting beauty. Stop in to find your perfect plant or floral arrangement!
The Plant Shop | Downtown: Where the houseplants are! This small nursery in the heart of Evanston specializes in tropicals, succulents, cacti and houseplants of all kinds! Come on in, get to know them and the plants. They are here to help you learn how to keep your plants alive and make them thrive.
FlowersFlowers | Downtown: This independent, woman-owned shop's specialty is having unique and beautiful flowers of unsurpassed quality and creating original, breathtaking floral arrangements with these blooms. The FlowersFlowers signature style is a lush English garden design style of premium blooms with delightful whimsy.
Cultivate Urban Rainforest | Main-Dempster Mile: Cultivate is your go-to friendly neighborhood plant shop! They believe plants bring wonder, healing, and beauty to our lives, and will help you find the perfect plants. Don't have a green thumb? Sign up for their houseplant class “Plant Parenthood," and other workshops!
Ella's Essence | Main-Dempster Mile: Looking for an unforgettable gift you can get for a loved one, friend or colleague for an upcoming occasion? Or, maybe you're just looking for something nice to treat yourself to! Whatever the occasion, flowers are always a great choice! At Ella's you can be sure to find always-fresh arrangements, handcrafted bouquets, and trusted same-day flower delivery throughout the area.
 The Mensch's Deli brain trust: co-owners Jack DeMar, Eric Kogan and Kiki Eliopoulos. | JULIE CHERNOFF/EVANSTON ROUNDTABLE
Mensch's Deli now open Downtown!
Three childhood friends have transformed their dream of co-owning a restaurant into reality with Mensch’s Deli, their new Ashkenazi-style Jewish diner, and delicatessen in Evanston. Learn more in Eater Chicago.
 Plein Air Festival kicks off July 12
Only a few more days until the streets will be filled with art!  Join Evanston Made for a citywide summer arts festival from July 12-21, offering free and accessible plein-air art events and competitions in every neighborhood! Watch as artists paint in the Plein Air style, capturing the beauty of Evanston’s natural and built environment and favorite landmarks.
The event kicks off in The Main-Dempster Mile Block Party on Friday, July 12 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Pick up the festival map, meet the competing artists, see live art demonstrations, shop for plein air art, enjoy live music and delicious drinks and bites!
 Church & Dodge Market Sunday, July 14
Come out and join the Church & Dodge Market for a fun-filled day! Enjoy FREE hotdogs, FREE ice cream, FREE books courtesy of the EPL and shop with local vendors. Plus, don't miss our thrilling UNO competition for kids aged 8-16! The competition will start at 3 p.m.
When: Sunday, July 14th, from 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: 1623 Dodge, Evanston
As an added treat, Evanston Made will be at the Church & Dodge Market this Sunday! Meet emerging artists and shop for original art! See live plein air painting demonstrations.
Bring your friends and family for a day of games, treats, prizes and vendors! See you there!
See below for upcoming events and start planning your weekends! You can find the full calendar of events on the Enjoy Evanston website.
Downtown Evanston
Main-Dempster Mile
Central Street
Ashland Arts
Church & Dodge
West Village
Other Enjoy Evanston events
Have a upcoming event?
Help us add to our calendar! We encourage you to submit all your upcoming events through our website.
Please review the following submission guidelines:
- Only public events may be listed
- Cannot be solely retail in nature
- Cannot be solely religious or political in nature
- Cannot be solely fundraisers or networking events
- Should be leisure time or recreational activities
Event eligibility is also evaluated on a case-by-case basis. At this time, we are only able to accept event listings in English.
 Meet Abby Dan, Booked!
Meet Abby Dan, owner of the Booked, an independent bookstore located at 506 Main Street in the Main-Dempster Mile. Both Abby and co-owner Betsy Haberl are Evanstonians, parents, writers and, most importantly, avid and enthusiastic readers. They offer a welcoming space for all members of the community and celebrate reading at any age! Make sure to stop by and check out their diverse selection of books for children and a curated selection of adult books. And don't forget to watch for their events too!
Read the full interview here.
KB: Can you share some of the history of Booked?
AD: Our friend and fellow Evanstonian Chelsea Elward opened Booked in the fall of 2018 as Evanston’s only kid-focused book store, a fact made immediately obvious by our tiny door and our always-fresh selection of books for kids of all ages. Betsy Haberl and I (Abby Dan) became the store’s owners in May 2023. We like to think we’ve kept the fun and friendly essence of the store while adding more books and programs for people of all ages.
KB: What can folks expect if they come to Booked?
AD: They can expect to find at least one great book they can’t wait to read! We love finding out what each customer (and/or the kiddo they’re shopping for) is interested in, what books they’ve loved in the past, and making a perfect match for them. And if they come on a Tuesday or Friday at 10:30am, they’ll find a silly, song-filled storytime for babies and preschool-aged kids led by one of our friendly booksellers!
KB: How do you set yourself apart from other book stores?
AD: We set ourselves apart in two key ways: with our outstanding booksellers, and by being a community-focused business. Everyone who works with us here at Booked can help you find what you need. Of course, we’re happy to let you browse uninterrupted, but if you’re on a mission, every single one of us has the knowledge and the enthusiasm to find a book for you today. And though we’re pretty tiny, we always want to be a space where all Evanstonians are welcome and can find what they’re looking for. We keep a great range of titles, including Spanish titles, in stock at different price points, and we give back to the community where we can, hosting fundraising events for the D65 PEP Fund, various schools and preschools, PFLAG of Evanston, Lydia Home, the Hive Center for Book Arts and more.
KB: Any specials or services you’d like people to be aware of?
AD: We want folks to know that we sell books for adults and have two fantastic adult book clubs! We’re always delighted when someone stops in for a kid’s book and is surprised by our books for grown-ups, but we’re still trying to get that word out! We’ve been running our monthly adult book clubs for over a year now, and they’re both a wonderful way to meet fellow readers and participate in a lively discussion. Booked Club meets midweek and reads literary fiction and nonfiction, with a focus on newer titles. Sunday Smut meets on the last Sunday of each month and reads contemporary romance novels. Both clubs read diverse authors and are always open and welcoming to new members. More info about both is on our website!
KB: What is your favorite thing about owning a business in Evanston?
AD: Is it cliche to say “the people?” Because it’s the people. We love meeting Evanstonians and their families, we love connecting people through our book clubs, our twice-weekly storytimes, or just as we chat with them in the store. The people are what makes Evanston Evanston, and we’re always proud to be part of this community.
 What do YOU enjoy about Evanston?
With ten unique business districts, there is something for everyone to enjoy! We want to hear about your favs. Where do you enjoy breakfast? Send us an email at hello@enjoyevanston.com.
 Did you know?
Where One Rotary Center now stands, at 1560 Sherman Ave., once stood the Evanston Theater, a vaudeville theater built in 1911. It was renamed several times prior to being rebuilt as the Valencia, a movie theater that remained popular until its closure in 1975.
The building was then torn down and replaced by the building that houses the Rotary Int. headquarters.
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