ESDC Supports the neighborhood
Mole de Mayo Festival is organized and produced by Economic Strategies Development Corporation (ESDC), a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization focused on fostering Pilsen’s economy and serving the local business community.
In addition to supporting ESDC’s events and dozens of free workshops each year, the festival donations benefit year-round grants to help small businesses.
ESDC 2024 focus is on REBUILDING. Mole de Mayo’s voluntary donations help support the following.
• Create Jobs
• Support family-owned businesses
• Support aspiring entrepreneurs
• Reduce poverty in our community
To learn more or to make a financial donation to Click Here or contact Alex Esparza at aesparza@esdcchicago.org For more information, please contact the ESDC office at 312-733-2287.
PILSEN BARRIO MÁGICO
As Pilsen’s primary economic development organization, ESDC is working to promote Pilsen as a tourist destination, highlighting its products and heritage. The Pilsen neighborhood is located in the City of Chicago’s arts district, and is home to the National Museum of Mexican Art, a myriad of colorful murals, and a variety of art galleries and studios. Ranked as one of Forbes magazine’s “top 12 coolest neighborhoods around the world” in 2018, Pilsen is a predominantly Mexican neighborhood that has housed many immigrant families since the 1960s as well as many legacy businesses that still exist today.Currently, 71% of its residents are either Mexican or of Mexican descent.
Promoting Pilsen as a tourist destination will attract new business to our community and increase the customer base of our local family-owned businesses, leading to higher revenues, business growth and job creation. It will also allow us to preserve the Mexican heritage for which this historical Chicago community has been known since the mid-20 th century.
In 2001, Mexico launched its pueblos mágicos or magical towns program, aimed at developing tourism and safeguarding the heritage of its many idyllic towns. These efforts are led through extensive marketing campaigns and the central placement of artistically crafted life-sized-letters depicting the town’s name. This allows tourists to capture a colorful snapshot of their visit to said magical towns.
ESDC proposes to follow in their footsteps, and inaugurate Pilsen as the Chicago’s first Barrio Mágico or Magical Neighborhood by showcasing hand-crafted, life-sized letters that depict Pilsen’s name in a central location which captures a piece of Chicago’s skyline. Secondly, we propose to launch a massive tourism campaign that will strongly position the neighborhood for years to come in this fast changing economy.