CAKE ANNOUNCES NEW VENUE!
ICING ON THE CAKE
Chicago Alternative Comics Expo announces new digs
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS — In the throes of a Windy City winter, summer can feel like a lifetime away. Fear not! Summer will be here before you know it, and with that the highly anticipated arrival of the Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE). The CAKE 2020 organizing committee is thrilled to announce the weekend-long alt-comics wonderland, now in its ninth year, will take place June 13-14, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Like CAKEs of yesteryear, this year’s expo will host local and multinational comics artists and publishers, including notable special guests selling their books, prints, and other wares to a hungry public. There will also be exciting and informative panels and workshops. But this year, CAKE has something new up its sleeve. In order to accommodate the demands of CAKE’s increasing volume, and to remain faithful in our commitment to inclusivity and safety for all, CAKE is relocating to a new facility, Broadway Armory (5917 N Broadway).
Located in a sprawling two-acre park in Chicago’s historic Edgewater neighborhood, Broadway Armory provides more space and more amenities to contend with the event’s ever-growing popularity. As part of the Park District, Broadway Armory serves the city of Chicago and all of its citizens. Members of the CAKE organizing committee dedicate themselves to maintaining the expo and all events associated with it to be safe, welcome spaces for all. It is with this spirit that CAKE made the decision to end their relationship with Center On Halsted (COH). There is no doubt that COH has made significant contributions to the health and welfare of Chicago’s LGBTQ community. However, in a Medium article written by Loyola professor Devon Price, troubling revelations came to light concerning the security firm hired by COH and its chief’s documented history with racist violence. Deeply concerned by Price’s report, CAKE organizers requested that interventions be made by COH. When action was not taken in a timely and satisfactory manner, CAKE organizers decided as a group to relocate. “Though we discussed it at length, CAKE's organizing committee could not reach a compromise with Center on Halsted that addressed the details of Devon Price's article in a way that met our moral and ethical standards,” explains veteran CAKE organizer Jon Mastantuono. “We also felt that contributing financially to the security firm in question would be a breach of our mission statement. Though we appreciate all the hard work of the staff over the past seven years, we voted not to rent at Center on Halsted in 2020.”
While the details surrounding the departure from Center on Halsted are unfortunate, the new, larger location will allow CAKE to be bigger and better than ever before. More space means more room for vendors and more ease for CAKE showgoers while navigating the busy exhibition halls. And since Broadway Armory doesn’t share a neighborhood with Wrigley Field, CAKE won’t run the risk of contending with the vexing overflow of Cubs traffic, another Chicago summer tradition. Follow @CAKEChicago for further announcements on special guests and additional CAKE events, including the always thrilling CAKE art auction fundraiser, which takes place on April 24.
