Sana Sana Wellness Block Party: Healing Chicago One Breath at a Time

June 27th, 2025, The 1937 Foundation invites the people of Chicago to show up for themselves, their families, and their community at the Sana Sana Wellness Block Party. Come and enjoy a celebration of healing, movement, and joy from 3-9 pm. In partnership with The Mural Movement and Vault Gallerie, this free event will offer yoga sessions, dance workshops, holistic wellness experiences, and community-building in the heart of Pilsen.

RSVP now to be part of this intentional gathering that centers Black and Brown voices in the journey of post-prohibition healing. Continue reading to learn more.

Why a Wellness Block Party Matters in 2025

When most people hear the phrase “war on drugs,” they think of courtroom scenes, overcrowded prisons, and headlines from decades past. But for Black and Brown communities across Chicago, the trauma of the war on drugs is not just history. It’s still in the air they breathe, the policies we fight, and the health disparities they navigate every day.

Events like the Wellness Block Party represent more than a celebration. They are a form of resistance. This is achieved by the collective reclaiming of space, health, and self-determination in communities that have long been targeted and surveilled. By choosing wellness, joy, and togetherness, we actively interrupt cycles of harm.

This block party isn’t just about yoga and smoothies. It’s about creating access to tools of healing that were historically denied to BIPOC communities. It’s about reclaiming public space, not for protest, but for peace. The real goal is building trust, connection, and cultural power together.

Healing in Public, For the Public

In too many neighborhoods throughout Chicago, health care feels clinical, distant, or even unsafe. For those who grew up seeing their communities criminalized for simply existing, the concept of “wellness” can feel out of reach or irrelevant. That’s why the Sana Sana Wellness Block Party brings the healing to the block, right where people live, laugh, struggle, and survive.

At this year’s event, you can expect:

• Guided yoga and movement classes for all skill levels

• Dance workshops led by local instructors

• Mental health and mindfulness spaces focused on rest and reflection

• Vendor pop-ups with plant-based food, natural products, and community resources

• Live art and music curated by The Mural Movement and Tribe.

Everything is designed to remove barriers. We are charging no entry fees, doing zero gatekeeping, and simply facilitating open-hearted community care in Chicago.

The Legacy of 1937 and Why It Still Matters

The 1937 Foundation takes its name from the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937, the legislation that launched the U.S. war on cannabis. What followed was nearly a century of arrests, over-policing, and broken homes, especially in Black and Latino neighborhoods.

Today, as Illinois and other states embrace legal cannabis markets, organizations like The 1937 Foundation are working to ensure that justice and wellness catch up to legalization. From public education to policy advocacy to cultural events like the Wellness Block Party, this work is about repairing the damage that policy alone cannot undo.

This event directly supports that mission by using cannabis culture, not to promote products, but to promote healing, understanding, and safe spaces for dialogue.

Pilsen as a Site of Healing

The block party will take place at Vault Gallerie in the historic Pilsen neighborhood, a community known for its vibrant murals, Latino heritage, and activist spirit. Pilsen has always been a canvas for resistance and resilience, and this June, it becomes a site for wellness as well.

Choosing this location was intentional. Just like art belongs to the people, so does wellness. You don’t need a membership, a medical card, or a therapist’s office to begin your healing. You just need a space to show up as your full self. The 1937 Foundation and our partners are deeply invested in creating these spaces.

From Criminalization to Celebration

What happens when we turn pain into practice? When we answer mass incarceration with mass meditation? Or, when we meet policy failure with community joy?

That’s the power of the Wellness Block Party. It’s not just an event. It’s a blueprint for what healing can look like in public, unapologetically centered around the people most affected by injustice.

It reminds us that the opposite of trauma is not just survival…it’s connection. It’s the freedom of each breath. Or the ability to dance in the street and be met with love, not suspicion. Part of recovery is internalizing the knowledge that wellness is a right, not a luxury.

Come With Intention. Leave With Peace.

Whether you’re looking for new ways to care for your mind and body, or you just want to vibe with your neighbors in a safe, welcoming space, the Wellness Block Party is for you.

RSVP now to claim your spot, meet like-minded Chicagoans, and take the first (or next) step on your personal healing journey. Bring your friends, your family, your open heart, and your readiness to heal in community. 

We’ll see you on June 27 from 3–9 PM at Vault Gallerie. Because healing is a community act, and we’re doing it together. Follow @the1937foundation on Instagram for updates and sneak peeks!