Hundreds Gather For Pre-ramadan Iftar Bazaar In Rosemont

Crescent-moon decorations and white drapery lined the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as families wandered from vendor to vendor, sampling food, browsing handcrafted goods and preparing for the sacred month of Ramadan.

Hundreds of people from across Chicagoland attended Saturday’s second Iftar Bazaar in Rosemont, a daylong, pre-Ramadan expo blending food, shopping and community programming. The women-led event, hosted by Chitown Desi and Muslim Ladies of Chicagoland, ran from noon to 11 p.m. and featured cuisines from around the world, cultural performances, international fashion, gifts and wellness services.

“It’s so important for us to be able to have a holiday market to showcase who we are, to show our children that like this is our heritage, this is our beliefs and Ramadan is such an important month,” Zakiya Master, owner of Blend of Spice, said.

At 2 p.m., organizers kicked off the afternoon with an inaugural ceremony and ribbon cutting. During the ceremony, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was presented with the Champion of Economic Empowerment and Social Justice plaque, recognizing his support of small businesses and immigrant communities.

“I want to thank you all for being here today and for making history in this space,” Johnson said. “May you all have a blessed and special Ramadan, and also know that as mayor of the city of Chicago, it is truly my honor to defend the rights of all of you that are here today. And no matter what this president does, I will always stand up to protect our immigrant communities.”

Before attending the event, Johnson signed an executive order directing Chicago police to investigate alleged abuses by federal immigration agents for potential felony prosecution.

Organizers said the bazaar was designed not only as a celebration but also as a platform to uplift Chicagoland’s small-business owners, many of whom are immigrants.

“Business went down because of the nature of what’s happening right now,” said Saiema Quadri, founder of Chitown Desi. “And so we were like, let’s all come together and just put this out there in the spirit of Ramadan.”

Named after the daily sunset-fast-breaking meal during Ramadan, Iftar, last year’s event focused primarily on food and Ramadan preparation. This year, Quadri said they intentionally broadened the bazaar to include fashion and lifestyle vendors.

Sara Khalid attended the expo looking for traditional clothing, which she said would be expensive to purchase online due to tariffs.

“It’s nice that we can have bazaars and things like that for the community, for the local vendors and then for people to come out and buy things,” Khalid said.

More than 100 vendors participated, offering a wide range of products and services. In addition to food, guests browsed traditional apparel, jewelry and accessories. Vendors also provided Islamic literature, artisan candles, wood decorations and more.

Eyad Murrar, the co-founder of Coffee for Gaza, along with his cousin, sells a wide variety of coffee beans, with 50% of the profit going directly to humanitarian relief for Gaza.

“It’s always nice because you get people from all walks of life,” Murrar said. “You’re getting the word out there.”

Beyond retail, the bazaar functioned as a service hub. Attendees could sign up for Muslim matchmaking services, participate in Ramadan tablescape workshops, get henna tattoos or join a guided painting class. Wellness offerings sat alongside giftable goods, reflecting the many ways families prepare for the holy month.

Youth entrepreneurship was another focal point for organizers. In the Young Entrepreneurs Zone, participants ages 14 to 23 competed for free business coaching and mentorship from business development company Pure Radiance.

Fifteen-year-old Haleemah Siddiqui is the founder of Haleemah’s Bake House. She bakes pastries, cakes and breads all from her home kitchen. She provided cookies, cinnamon rolls and cake pops at the bazaar. While she was excited to be among fellow young entrepreneurs, she didn’t think of the event as a competition.

“Me coming here was more to provide something different for the community and see what everybody else was making,” Siddiqui said.

For children, there was a “Lil Habibis” area where kids could watch Islamic performances and listen to children’s authors read their books. Parents could drop off their kids for one hour as they explored the bazaar.

“It’s very very touching that everyone is just coming together as one big team,” Quadri said. “Whatever it is, there is something for everyone.”