About Us - Little Lawndale in the Park in Douglass Park Chicago Illinois

Lit Lawn Collective

The Little Lawndale Collective is a volunteer-led group of Lawndale residents dedicated to activating and caring for public space in Douglass Park. Through art, music, community stewardship, and creative programming, we bring neighbors together to celebrate the culture, creativity, and resilience of our community. Our signature event, Little Lawndale in the Park, transforms the historic Flower Hall and Formal Gardens into a vibrant gathering space for residents, artists, youth, and local organizations.

What began as a neighborhood block party envisioned by Leo Guzman evolved into the Little Lawndale Collective with the addition of Jonah Rapino and Taykhoom Biviji. Together, they transformed the idea into a community-led effort to activate and care for Douglass Park through art, music, and cultural programming.

In 2025, the collective hosted its first successful Little Lawndale in the Park festival. For year two, the collective has grown with the addition of Rosalba Valdez, bringing new energy, skills, and perspectives to the work.

We hope to continue growing. If you’re interested in becoming a collective member, we’d love to hear from you. Members are expected to attend weekly meetings and have to be a resident of North Lawndale or South Lawndale.

The Team

Rosalba Valdez is one of Chicago’s most powerful bilingual voices — a first-generation Mexican-American singer-songwriter, activist, blending traditional Mexican roots with Latin alternative, salsa, cumbia, and contemporary rhythms. As a female-fronted force in Chicago’s Latin music scene, Rosalba brings passion, elegance, and soul to every stage. Her music celebrates identity, resilience, immigrant stories, love, with authenticity and corazón.

Leo Guzman is a DJ, organizer and lifelong Lawndale resident who is deeply invested in enriching the community through arts initiatives. In 2021 he organized the “Little Lawndale Lounge”. The project evolved with community participation and the ‘Little Lawndale Block Party’ was born as a meeting point for the community to gather & celebrate.

Jonah Rapino is a violin player with over 25 years of performing and presenting live music around the world. He currently runs a DIY performance space called Wolf Village that has showcased over 30 local and regional performers since 2021.

Taykhoom Biviji is a storyteller, arts administrator & cultural producer dedicated to building community through the arts. For over a decade, he has collaborated with artists, designers, museums, schools, nonprofits and the City of Chicago to support arts education and creative placemaking initiatives in the Lawndale community. His work centers on amplifying local voices, celebrating culture, and creating spaces for growth, connection, and belonging.