Chicago's bocce community gets a home court
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Chicago Bocce Club in West Town. Photo: Carrie Shepherd/Axios
After more than a decade of playing the sport in bars and parks, Chicago's bocce community has a home court.
What to expect: Chicago Bocce Club in West Town calls itself the city's first dedicated bocce clubhouse, with five professional-grade indoor and outdoor courts, a private backyard with other games and a coworking and events space.
Flashback: Chicago Bocce Club co-founder Alex Gara started hosting bocce leagues and pop-up games around Chicago more than a decade ago, eventually playing in national tournaments.
- "I started a thing called the Wicker Park Bocce Club in 2013, and we leased a vacant city lot in Wicker Park for $1, and we built two bocce courts, and we knew nothing about the game," Gara tells Axios.
State of play: Fast forward to now, Gara is part of the Chicago Bocce League (CBL), founded by Michael Scialdone. CBL consists of six teams stretching from Highwood to Beverly with a sister league in Ohio called the Ohio Bocce League.
- CBL organizes weekly bar leagues across Chicago, and Gara says enthusiasm for the sport has grown so much that a dedicated space for the sport and its players made sense.
History: Italian immigrants brought bocce to Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs in the early 20th century, and the sport maintains a fervent following today in predominantly Italian communities, like Elmwood Park.
- The new short documentary "How We Roll," streaming now, presents a reverent and sweet homage to bocce in the village.
How it works: Chicago Bocce Club memberships range from $50 a month to $1,320 a year based on perks.
- The club extends off the court with programming like Monday Mahjong, Wine Wednesdays and Euchre night.
- CBC will host public events as well.
If you go: Chicago Bocce Club is located at 410 N. Paulina Ave. in West Town.