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Feast Your Eyes on These Festive Chicago Region Activities
These upcoming events are displayed in chronological order.
If you're looking for a day out with delicious food (made with locally farmed ingredients), lots of music (with a bluegrass focus), and fresh country air, then Farmers Rising's 2nd annual Alfalfa Festival may be for you.
Farmers Rising, a leading farmer education non-profit, is holding the event on Saturday, August 24 at its home location in Caledonia, Illinois, near Rockford. Tickets are on sale (see below), but if you'd like to attend for free by donating a couple of hours to help out, they are looking for volunteers. Click the button below to sign up.
Here's how the organization describes its big event.
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Join us at Alfalfa Festival, August 24th from 2 p.m.-10 p.m., a gathering of LIVE music, friends and fun in support of Farmers Rising's Education Programming! Enjoy an afternoon and evening with LIVE music at the Rainbow Pavilion stage, overlooking the lush alfalfa fields and tranquil Kinnikinnick Creek that flows through the grounds.
FEATURED FARMS
All Grass Farms... Bountiful Beloit... Broadview Farm and Gardens... Farmers Rising... Hazzard Free Farm... Irish Grove Farm... Midnight Sun Farm... Owl's Roost Farm... Peasant Revolt Farm... Ten Men Farm... Quarry Farm of Illinois
BANDS
The Way Down Wanderers... Miles Over Mountains... Honky Butter... Wheels North... Sophie Coyote... Sighouette... Dave Skupien... David Stocker & World Jam Kids... Asia
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Click below for tickets and more information.
Can we interest you in a late summer farm tour, which also accents the major contribution that Latino farmers make in the Chicago region's local food ecosystem?
On behalf of the Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College, we are happy to share the following information about a visit to Racho El Pitayo Farm in Marengo, Illinois, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
As this event takes place at a bilingual farm, we are sharing both the English and Spanish text from the organizers.
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Save the Date! You are invited to Racho El Pitayo from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 21909 Grange Road, Marengo.
This is a bilingual, family-friendly, outdoor event. Owner Antonio Delgado, along with his wife Mary Witt and family members, will guide guests on a tour of their farm, while Antonio shares his experiences as a Latino farm owner in McHenry County.
The couple, which also owns and operates Isabel’s Family Restaurant in Woodstock, purchased the 20-acre farm in 1994. The majority is planted in hay. However, some 5 acres is dedicated to a variety of vegetables – many of which they use at their restaurant.
Crops include tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, 10 varieties of peppers, onions, garlic, Mexican corn, broom corn, guava, figs and smorgasbord of herbs that include Mexican papolo and epazote.
No registration is required, parking is on site. Food and refreshments will be provided, including handmade tortillas. For information, email info@raiceslatinasmc.org.
Raices Latinas is funded by The Community Foundation of McHenry County. Partners include the Illinois Migrant Council, Mano A Mano, Farmworkers and Landscapers Advocacy Project, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, the McHenry County Historical Society, and the Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College.
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¡Aparta la fecha! Están invitados al Racho El Pitayo ubicado en 21909 Grange Road, Marengo, Illinois, de 5:30 a 7:30 p.m. el martes 27 de agosto.
Este es un evento al aire libre, bilingüe y apto para toda la familia. El propietario Antonio Delgado, junto con su esposa Mary Witt y miembros de su familia, guiaran a los invitados en un recorrido por su granja. Al mismo tiempo, Antonio compartirá su experiencia como propietario de una granja latina en el condado de McHenry.
La pareja, también son dueños y operan el restaurante familiar Isabel's en Woodstock, compraron la granja de 20 acres en 1994. La mayoría está plantada con heno. Sin embargo, alrededor de 5 acres están dedicados a una variedad de vegetales, muchos de los cuales usan en su restaurante.
Los cultivos incluyen tomates, papas, calabacitas, 10 variedades de pimientos, cebollas, ajo, maíz mexicano, guayaba, higos y una variedad de hierbas que incluyen papolo mexicano y epazote.
No es necesario registrarse, el estacionamiento está a la orilla de la granja. Se proporcionarán alimentos y refrigerios, incluidas tortillas hechas a mano. Para información, envíe un correo electrónico a info@raiceslatinasmc.org.
Raices Latinas está financiada por la Fundación Comunitaria del Condadado de McHenry. Los socios incluyen el Consejo de Migrantes de Illinois (IMC por sus siglas en Inglés), Mano A Mano, el Proyecto de Defensa de los Trabajadores Agrícolas y Paisajistas (FLAP por sus siglas en Inglés)), The Land Conservancy del Condado de McHenry, la Sociedad Histórica del Condado de McHenry y el Centro de Aprendizaje Agrario del Colegio del Condado de McHenry County.
Early-bird tickets are now on sale for Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Farm to Fork Fest, to be held on Saturday, October 12 at McDonald Farm in the Chicago suburb of Naperville.
I attended the first Farm to Fork Feast last fall, and I highly recommend it. You'll get to mingle with and meet other advocates for a better food system (Illinois Stewardship Alliance is the state's foremost policy advocate for the local farm and food communities) while enjoying delicious food and locally produced beverages with a side order of inspiration.
Here's how the organization describes the event, followed by a link to buy tickets.
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The Alliance is proud to celebrate our 50th anniversary as a grassroots organization dedicated to transformative change in our food and farm system.
You can commemorate our Golden Anniversary with us at the Farm to Fork Feast. Together, we will enjoy an evening of fellowship, delicious local food and celebration as we honor our first 50 years and toast to our next.
As a supporter of our work and co-creator of our next chapter, you have an early opportunity to get your tickets first. You can be first in line to celebrate this milestone with us!
At the Farm to Fork Feast, you’ll enjoy a crisp autumn afternoon at the historic and picturesque McDonald Farm- a slice of agrarian life amongst the bustling Chicago metro suburbs.
Throughout the evening you’ll have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items and experiences curated just for local-food and farm enthusiasts like you.
Then you’ll savor a bountiful feast embracing the essence of the season with a buffet of seasonal dishes prepared by local farm-to table chefs at Moveable Feast + CO in Wheaton.
After dinner, you’ll enjoy the debut of a short film celebrating the 50 years of change-making you’ve helped accomplish.
As the sun sets, you can sip, snack, toast, and talk with old and new friends from near and far.
You’ll feel good knowing that this evening helps build new and better dreams for a food system to nourish and sustain our communities for the next 50 years.
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