A Chicago Fair Trade holiday pop-up was held at 2352 N. Clark Street. A different pop-up near Clybourn and Halsted featured more than 30 local businesses and fair-trade, eco-friendly products, including handmade items.
At the Clark Street pop-up, 90% of the businesses are women-owned. In 2023, the organization's holiday pop-up marked ten years, according to CBS News Chicago; the outlet also reported that businesses at that event paid fair wages to the people who made the products.
The Mission Behind the Shelves
Chicago Fair Trade, the nonprofit behind the pop-up, was founded in 2006 to push for more equitable business practices across the city. Per Block Club Chicago, the organization's work has long centered on fair wages, worker safety, sustainable business models and more transparent supply chains for the companies it supports.
The 2022 pop-up at 1457 N. Halsted Street was open until Dec. 24, with shortened hours that day, giving shoppers a window to browse before it closed.
A Shop That Has Moved Around the City
Chicago Fair Trade's holiday pop-up hasn't stayed in one spot year after year. The organization's own 2025 event listing placed last year's version at 2717 N. Clark Street, running from November 1 through December 23, 2025, according to the group's event page on chicagofairtrade.org. The same listing advertised a curated selection of fair trade, eco-friendly products from more than two dozen local businesses.
Earlier iterations popped up in other corners of the city entirely. Block Club Chicago reported that the 2022 version set up at 1457 N. Halsted St. and ran until Dec. 24 that year, with shortened hours on its final day. A Magnificent Mile event, meanwhile, featured over two dozen local businesses.
That shifting footprint underscores just how much the pop-up has evolved since its first run around 2013, while the organization's vision includes ethically sourced goods. The Clark Street pop-up features locally owned businesses.
