Chicago’s top source for fresh, local fruits, veggies, and prepared foods
Green City Market’s (GCM) outdoor market opening dates are fast approaching, and this year we’re celebrating our 20th anniversary. Green City Market is one of the top markets in the Midwest and has been recognized as a leading market by consumers, farmers, and chefs alike. We’ll have cake, chef demonstrations, music, kids’ activities and of course the season’s freshest produce, amazing local meats, cheeses, eggs and so much more.
Throughout the year, Green City Market showcases sustainable practices and is proud to be the first farmers markets in the country to require all of its farmers to be certified by a nationally recognized 3rd party agency. Farmers at Green City Market prioritize the health and wellbeing of their farmland, animals, and customers.
Market days provide abundant opportunities for Chicagoans of all ages to learn about food, the environment, nutrition and more. Club Sprouts lets kids taste new foods and learn how they are grown. Renowned Chicago chefs give cooking demos that feature fresh, seasonal ingredients. Yoga classes, composting drop-offs, and the interactive Edible Gardens all give Chicagoans an opportunity to appreciate fresh foods and learn more about sustainability and how food gets to their plate.
Green City Market Opening Dates
Lincoln Park
Opening Day: Saturday, May 4 – October 26, 2019
Dates of operation: Saturdays & Wednesdays, from May-October
Times: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: 1817 N. Clark Street — South end of Lincoln Park –
N. Clark St. & N. Lincoln Ave.
Special activities:
9:00 am Ribbon Cutting – Civic and City Officials and Green City Market Staff and Board Members
10:00 am Cutting of 20th Anniversary Cake by Bennison’s Bakery
Throughout The Day Series of Cooking demos by Renowned Chicago chefs
The Chef is In Tent – Ask our chef-in-residence for culinary advice or recipe inspiration!
Music by The Winchesters
Club Sprouts – Making Biodegradable Plant Starts
Compost Education with Healthy Soil Compost
West Loop
Opening Day: Saturday, June 1, 2019
Dates of operation: Saturdays, from June-October
Times: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Location: Bartleme Park, 115 S. Sangamon St., Chicago
The History
Twenty years ago, after visiting European sustainable farmers markets in 1998, Green City Market founder Abby Mandel, chef, author, and entrepreneur, returned to Chicago determined to create a similar market in her own city.
Green City Market was her brainchild and began as a small startup with nine local farmers in the alley next to the Chicago Theatre. The Market quickly outgrew the location and moved to the south end of Lincoln Park where it currently operates May – October. In 2008, the Green City Market became year-round, remaining open November-April, first in the Lincoln Park Zoo and now in The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Twenty years later, the message has come through loud and clear: Chicago wants and needs a year-round farmers market and, most importantly, one that supports local farmers and sustainable agricultural practices. The Market continues to experience crowds of over 175,000 visitors per year. From that first year in 1999 next to the Chicago Theatre to the present time, Green City Market has morphed into Chicago’s most vital farmers market.
About Green City Market
Green City Market is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit paving a new path for the local food economy in the midwest by deepening our support of small family farms, educating consumers and the next generation of eaters, and increasing access to local, sustainable food. Green City Market operates three sustainable market locations throughout Chicago. Beyond the market, Green City Market leads Edible Education classes in schools and partners with community organizations to promote equitable access to nutritious, local food. More information, Follow our news on Twitter at @GreenCityMarket, on Facebook at facebook.com/greencitymarket, on Instagram at @greencitymarket
Photo Credit Erika Vernon photography.
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