Lighting The Sky to the New Normal
May 1 was a day for the books. It began with the farmers market season kickoff at Green City Market, Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, The Lincoln Park Farmers Market and several other locations. It ended with a fireworks display of unusual significance.
I post photos of the view from our high-rise windows because we are extraordinarily lucky to have it and feel obligated to share. Along with the panorama, we also have a dead-on view of Navy Pier four miles away.
We moved in on a Wednesday in late June 2011. We didn’t know then that there were fireworks displays every Wednesday and Saturday night. So we were sitting, just admiring the view when, boom… fireworks. I turned to Barb, deadpan, and said, “You know, Chicago really knows how to welcome you.”
Those fireworks — twice a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus July 4th, New Year’s midnight, and special occasions — became part of the rhythm of our lives… until last year. Worries about drawing non-socially distanced crowds prompted the city to cancel fireworks for the year. It was a small thing in the grand scheme but their absence was felt.
So both the on-time start of farmers market season Saturday and the return of pyrotechnics to the Chicago night sky were steps in the direction of a return to some semblance of normalcy. In fact, I want to believe that the fireworks were intended to celebrate the beginning of the local food season.
No one else will tell you that, so it will be just our little secret.
Scenes from the Farmers Markets
The first Scenes from the Farmers Markets is little one-sided because there were only the Saturday markets. We’ll have photos from more markets next Sunday.
Green City Market, Lincoln Park, Chicago
In-season produce shines during our Market Mondays issues, so on Sundays we’ll shout out some of the non-produce vendors.
Meat
Eggs
Preserved Foods
Coffee
Baked Goods
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, Chicago
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, Evanston IL
Mark Dolnick, friend of Local Food Forum, shared this lovely montage from Downtown Evanston Farmers Market’s opening day. From left, vendors Nichols Farm and Orchard, Gatz Farm, Lake Breeze Organics and Katić Breads flank the photo of shoppers in the center. Photo credit: Mark Dolnick/Friends of Evanston Farmers Market.
Please send your farmers market photos to bob@localfoodforum.com.