The Square opened at Yorktown Center in June on the old Carson's site, and the mall described it as the start of a "live-work-play" campus. Three months later, most of what's new at Yorktown this fall is inside the building and down one floor. Toys R Us is going into the lower level of the JCPenney wing. Evoke Coffee Lab is going into Center Court. On the outdoor side, the restaurants planned around the park haven't arrived yet, and a planned grocery store won't be coming.
If you live in Lombard and use Yorktown for a Saturday errand, the next three months look different from the summer. Openings, kids' events and weekend markets now fill the calendar from October 10 to December 20, and most of what's new is a short walk from Center Court.
Where the New Tenants Landed
These openings have been announced or listed this fall. Here is where each one sits:
- Toys R Us, a 7,500-square-foot store on the lower level of the JCPenney wing. On September 24, the Daily Herald reported that it would open "at the beginning of October." The paper's photo caption says work was still going on September 23. The mall's directory already marks it "Now Open," and its store listing puts it at unit 158, Lower Level. Glenbard Wire reported that no specific date or grand opening event has been announced, so check before you make a special trip.
- Evoke Coffee Lab, listed as "Opening Soon" in the mall directory. Its listing places it at Lower Center, Center Court, and describes specialty coffee, matcha, tea and pastries. Evoke's own careers page is hiring an opening team for the Yorktown café and doesn't give a date.
- Uzumaki Revolving Sushi, at 326 Yorktown Shopping Center. The mall's dining page now marks it "Now Open." The mall first announced it in September 2025, when it was slated to open late that year or early this year. The Village of Lombard's development tracker lists the opening as September 2026.
- Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, at 203 Yorktown Center Rd., Ste. 228A. Its grand opening was September 11, and the mall's offers page listed grand-opening specials through October 8.
Two places already open on the lower level fit around the newcomers. Honey Berry Pancakes & Café is at 157B, Lower Level, and serves breakfast daily. Cold Stone Creamery is at 119, Lower Level. Put the four together and the lower level has a café, a breakfast spot, an ice cream counter and a toy store within one floor. That's a full family morning without going back outside.
Why the Outdoor Side Is Still Catching Up
The Square has a stage, a play area, a dog park and a fitness area. In the Daily Herald's June description, a wide promenade runs from a new apartment complex to a new glass mall entrance, with orange and green Adirondack-style chairs set against geometric murals.
The mall's own page for The Square says "more retailers and restaurants" are coming to it, and notes that the park's new entrance opens directly into Center Court. Right now the park has the space and the seating, but the restaurants meant to face it haven't been named.
The Fresh Market was another planned addition that won't arrive. On August 6, the Daily Herald reported that the grocer had dropped its plans for a Yorktown store. The mall's owner, YTC Butterfield Owner LLC, then sued in DuPage County Circuit Court for more than $15 million. The suit says The Fresh Market caused construction delays by not providing building details on time. The grocer, according to the suit, blamed the owner for missing the lease deadline to finish the building. This was a planned store that never opened. No Lombard grocery has closed. It does mean one building on the property has no tenant, and no replacement has been announced.
So the indoor openings carry the fall. The outdoor park is open and free to use on a mild afternoon, but most of this season's new reasons to come are indoors.
The Fall Calendar Runs on Two Clocks
Yorktown's posted schedule from October through December follows two patterns. One is a short weekend morning event for younger kids. The other is a three-day vendor market that takes over a whole weekend. One weeknight evening event falls in between.
- JCPenney Kids Zone, Saturday, October 10, 11 a.m. to noon. It's a free craft, and October's project is a Dalmatian fireman.
- Monster Mash, Sunday, October 18, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. It's a costumed Halloween celebration, and the mall says more details are coming.
- Chicago Spooktacular Craft & Vendor Market, October 23 to 25. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
- Howl-o-ween, Thursday, October 29, 5 to 7 p.m. There are dog-friendly vendors, Polaroid photo ops and a "Tricks for Treats" segment. The costume contest starts at 6 p.m., with prizes in small, medium and large breed categories. Sign up at the Yorktown Center table in Center Court.
- City2City Card Show, November 7 and 8, free admission. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
- Chicago Fall Craft & Vendor Market, November 13 to 15. Same hours as the October market.
- Chicago Winter Wonderland Craft & Vendor Market, December 11 to 13.
- Chicago Winter Wonderland Craft & Vendor Market, a second run December 18 to 20, again 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Laid out by date, the gaps are easy to see. Halloween weekend has nothing on Yorktown's posted schedule. The Thursday before Thanksgiving and the first weekend of December are also open. The December markets run on the two weekends right before the holiday, so they're the closest thing to a gift-shopping deadline the mall has set. The two kids' mornings both end by early afternoon, which leaves the rest of the day free.
The card show stands out from the rest. It's free and runs two full days, and it lands in the same fall Toys R Us opens down the hall. On September 25, the Village tracker also logged MinMaxGames, a tabletop miniatures and trading card shop, at 1 S. Park Avenue near St. Charles Road. If someone in your house collects cards, that's two stops in Lombard on the same November weekend, one downtown and one on Butterfield Road.
Pairing an Event With a Meal
The full-service restaurants sit on Yorktown's outer ring. Gia Mia is at 310, outside near Dave & Buster's, and serves Italian. Dave & Buster's is at 306, near Forever 21, with food, drinks and games. Ancho & Agave at 92 Yorktown Shopping Center serves Mexican food daily. Empire Burgers + Brew at 94 offers burgers, beer and rooftop dining.
These line up with the calendar:
- Kids Zone or Monster Mash mornings: breakfast at Honey Berry on the lower level, the event, then Cold Stone on the same floor.
- Howl-o-ween on a Thursday evening: the event ends at 7 p.m., in time for a later dinner at Gia Mia or Ancho & Agave.
- Vendor market Saturdays: at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the market runs through lunch and well past it, so a late lunch on the Empire rooftop or at Dave & Buster's fits in the middle.
Uzumaki at 326 adds a sushi option, and Evoke will add coffee in Center Court once it opens.
The First Weekend of October Belongs to the Park District
Before Yorktown's calendar starts on October 10, the Lombard Park District has the first weekend. Fall Fest is Saturday, October 3, 1:30 to 4 p.m., at a new location this year, Four Seasons, at Finley Road and 16th Street. It's free, with games, dancing, face painting and a pumpkin patch. Tales & Tombstones runs Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3, 6 to 8 p.m., at Lombard Cemetery, 462 S. Main St. Preregistration is required.
If the Toys R Us opening falls on that weekend as expected, one Saturday could include Fall Fest in the afternoon and a first look at the new store. Since no opening day has been confirmed, check the mall directory before you plan around it.
Once the season is over, the Park District's Pumpkin Smash is set for Saturday, November 7, 9 a.m. to noon, at Lombard Common, 433 E. St. Charles Road. That's the same Saturday morning the City2City Card Show opens at Yorktown.
What Hasn't Been Posted Yet
Yorktown's current event list stops at the December vendor markets. There's no 2026 Santa arrival, tree lighting or concert at The Square on it so far. The Santa photo pages still on the mall's site are from 2025, so they don't tell you anything about this year's schedule. For holiday photos, the Yorktown events page is the place to watch as November gets closer. The 2026 dates will be posted there.
If you're wondering how projects like The Square, the empty Fresh Market building and the new lower-level tenants affect home values near Butterfield Road, Afrouz Kameli follows these Lombard changes closely and is glad to talk them through over coffee, at Evoke once it opens. Let's Connect.
