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One September Week, Three Amazing Non-Profit Food Tasting Fundraisers
- Bob Benenson
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Events to Boost Green City Market, Star Farm Chicago and Just Roots Beckon
Green City Market, Star Farm Market and Just Roots are three outstanding Chicago food non-profits. I greatly admire and have longstanding relationships with each.
Within eight days in September — the 10th through the 17th — all three have scheduled fabulous fundraising events, all of which include delicious chef-crafted plates. Here's what you should know:
Green City Market Chef BBQ
Thursday, September 10
Lincoln Park flagship location, 1817 N. Clark St
Green City's Chef BBQ is simply Chicago's biggest and best chef-driven outdoor tasting event each year. It is also GCM's biggest annual fundraiser, generating critical support for programs that strengthen our local food system and ensure fresh, locally grown food remains accessible to all.
Star Farm Under the Stars Soiree
Saturday, September 12
Star Farm Fresh Market, 5256 S. Ashland Ave.
The Star Farm Chicago non-profit works to raise hope, opportunity and access to healthy locally produced food by operating urban farms and its year-old Fresh Market on Chicago's South Side. Their September 12 Gala celebrates the organization's 10th Anniversary, and you need to read about the deluxe lineup for the event.
Just Roots Chicago Growing Together Event
Thursday, September 17
Chicago Illuminating Company, 2110 S. Wabash
Just Roots' two small farms — one in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood, the other in south suburban Sauk Village — provide underserved communities with increased access to healthy, sustainably produced food. According to their collateral, "The event offers a high quality dining experience while supporting the development of a more local, regenerative, and community-driven food system. Throughout the farm-to-table dinner, you will experience custom, family-style dishes created by participating chefs using fresh, organic produce grown at Just Roots’ farms."
And take a look at the following events that will usher in the fall season:
Thursday, September 24: The Chicago Help Initiative will celebrate a quarter-century of serving Chicagoans experiencing homelessness, hunger, and poverty at its 2026 Helping Hands Fundraiser on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at The Godfrey Hotel's I/O Rooftop (127 W. Huron Street, Chicago). Click here.
Sunday, September 27: The McHenry County Farm Stroll is a free, self-guided annual tour of family farms in the semi-exurban/semi-rural county that reaches to north-central Illinois' border with Wisconsin. You can pick and choose among 11 farms, including my friends at Wanda Farms in Harvard and Garlic eScape Farm in Woodstock. Click here for more details about the event, which is presented by Illinois Extension, McHenry County College's Carey Center for Agrarian Learning, and McHenry County Farm Bureau.
Thursday, October 1: The Evolved Network is a Chicago non-profit that works with underprivileged children in schools, provided them with food education, cooking lessons and life skills. The organization is holding two events is close order to raise money to support programs at four schools. The first of these, at Publican Quality Meats on October 1, features a meat-cutting lesson by Rob Levitt (master butcher and executive chef at The Publican restaurant) and a four-course dinner). Click here.
Monday, October 5: The second of The Evolved Network's fundraising feasts takes place at downtown's Brandille restaurant, where legendary chef-owner Carrie Nahabedian and Sebastian will be joined in the kitchen by these other culinary leaders: Mindy Segal, Sarah Stegner and Paul Virant. Click here.
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