Gemütlichkeit at Beerfestiversary
Tomorrow’s Local Food Forum will feature a recap of my Sunday at Beerfestiversary, a two-day celebration of craft beer, music and food trucks held annually by Malt Row neighbors Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery. But I decided to share this photo, which is of a German polka band called The Last Drop performing Country Roads in German and English.
I know we’re all different, but if your definition of fun doesn’t include listening to a polka band, dressed in traditional Alpine garb, channeling John Denver while you eat a lobster roll washed down with a Dovetail kriek, then you are definitely not me.
More tomorrow, but first… it’s this week’s supersized Chicago region farmer’s market schedule!
This Week’s Regional Farmers Market Schedule
And we’re off… There are 23 farmers markets joining the schedule just this week. Browse the list and make your plans!
Tuesday, May 30
Lincoln Square Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., Lincoln & Leland Aves., Chicago
The Farmer at the Green, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 320 S. Canal St., Chicago
Woodstock Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Historic Woodstock Square
Wednesday, May 31
Andersonville Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 1500 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago
Green City Wednesday Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park, Chicago
Palos Heights Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 12217 S. Harlem Ave.
Uptown Farmers Market, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Sunnyside Mall (betw. Magnolia & Beacon), Chicago
Thursday, June 1
Daley Plaza City Market, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 50 W. Washington St., Chicago
Growing Home Englewood Farm Stand, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1844 W. 59th St., Chicago
LaGrange Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 53 S. LaGrange Rd.
Libertyville Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cook Memorial Park
Lincoln Square Thursday Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lincoln & Leland Aves., Chicago
PCC Austin Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., 330 N. Lotus Ave., Chicago
South Loop Farmers Market Grant Park, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 1201 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago
The Gathering Farmers Market at Tulip Tree Gardens, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., 1236 E. Eagle Lake Rd., Beecher
Friday, June 2
Lake Zurich Farmers Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 200 S. Rand Rd.
North Point Marina Farmers Market, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., 701 North Point Dr. Winthrop Harbor
Olde Schaumburg Center Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 190 S. Roselle Road
St. Charles Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Baker Memorial Church, 307 Cedar Ave.
Saturday, June 3
Batavia Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., N. River St. betw. Willow and Spring
Brookfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8820 Brookfield Ave.
Division Street City Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 100 W. Division St., Chicago
Downers Grove Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main St. Train Station
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., University Place and Oak Ave.
Elk Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 901 Wellington Ave.
Grayslake Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.
Green City Market Lincoln Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park, Chicago
Green City Market West Loop, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mary Bartelme Park, 115\ S. Sangamon St.
Homewood Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Martin Square
Horner Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2741 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Huntley Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Town Square
Kankakee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., S. Schuyler Ave. & Merchant St.
Mercado de Colores, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4345 W. 26th St.
Naperville Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 200 E. 5th Ave.
Oak Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 460 Lake Ave.
Park Forest Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 152 Main St.
Park Ridge Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15 Prairie Ave.
Palatine Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Palatine Train Station
Plant Chicago Mini-Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4459 S. Marshfield Ave. Chicago*
61st Street Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago
South Chicago Farmstand, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 9000 S. Mackinaw, Chicago
Streator Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Streator City Park
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard, Chicago
West Humboldt Park City Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3601 W. Chicago Ave.
Winnetka Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 510 Green Bay Rd.
Woodstock Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Historic Woodstock Square
*Plant Chicago will hold a full-scale market in Davis Square Park every 3rd Saturday — the first is on June 17 — and mini-markets on other Saturdays.
Sunday, June 4
Farmers Market at the Dole, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 401 Country Club Rd., Crystal Lake
Frankfort Country Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Breidert Green & 1 N. White St.
Glenwood Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenwood Ave. betw. Morse & Lunt, Chicago
Hyde Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1516-1528 E. 54th St., Chicago
Logan Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
Maxwell Street Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 800 S. Desplaines St., Chicago
Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northwest Hwy. & Main St.
95th Street Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
North Chicago Farmers Market, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., 1730 Lewis Ave.
Pilsen Community Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1821 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
Portage Park Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4000 N. Long Ave., Chicago**
Skokie Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5127 Oakton St.
Wicker Park Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1425 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
**Portage Park Farmers Market is open two Sundays a month through August
Next Door Dinners Series Returns Thursday
Next Door Dinners is a community dinner project with a pay-what-you-can model. And the next event is this Thursday (June 1) from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Plant Chicago, 4459 South Marshfield Ave.
According to the organizers,
We serve a three-course dinner that sells out around 50 people. The dinners source from Chicago urban farmers, retailers, and makers and pop up at venues all around the city. All profits go to various organizations supporting Chicago residents — this event will be hosted in support of Plant Chicago and their mission to cultivate local circular economies. Your donation in the form of a ticket purchase will help increase access to sustainably produced food on the Southwest Side.
We operate in response to a linear, "take-make-waste," economic system that often treats both materials and people as disposable. Chicagoans are welcome to participate in core activities including educational workshops, farmers markets, an Indoor Victory Garden, waste diversion, local food boxes, and small business support — all offered at sliding scale rates.
Click the button below to buy tickets.
Not So Fast?
I don’t make a habit of calling out companies that are a few billion times larger than me, but this is so weird I’m sharing it in hopes of confirming that my eyes are not deceiving me.
I was waiting for a bus in the shelter near our apartment when I noticed an ad for a mega-fast food company touting a deal on their fried chicken pieces. Then I looked closer at the photo of a cut nugget and… wait a second… isn’t that… rice? At least I hope it’s rice, because I’d hate to contemplate what you could do to chicken to make it look like rice.
There’s nothing at all new about this. The history of food advertising is replete with examples of fakery to make products look more appealing, such as putting marbles in the bottom of a soup bowl to make the ingredients rise to the top and using shaving cream to sub in for highly meltable whipped cream.
But if you’re going to blow up the photography to poster size, maybe you want to make the product look at little bit more like it does in real life?