Ravinia Farmers Market/Concert Hit All the Right Notes

Bob Benenson
Aug 24, 2025
2 min read

Suburban Market Scored Long-Sought Collaboration with Summer Music Venue

Located in the northern Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Ravinia Farmers Market is one of the longest-running farmers markets in the Chicago region. Ed Kugler, now the market's manager, was a founding vendor 47 years ago. And for many years, Ed harbored a dream of staging a combination farmers market and concert at the nearby Ravinia Festival, metro Chicago's legendary outdoor summer music venue.

On August 20, Ed's dream came true through his collaborations with Life Rhythms and Ravinia Festival. While four bluegrass-focused acts entertained at the venue's Carousel Stage, 55 vendors — selling locally farmed produce and meat (most of them organic producers, prepared foods and meals, beverages, and artisan, body care and pet items — greeted customers in tents that stretched along the adjacent walkways.

Blessed with beautiful weather on the heels of a long heat wave punctuated by heavy storms, the event was a grand night out for the several hundred attendees.

Ed, on the far left in the above picture, collaborated on the event with longtime colleague Peggy Malecki, publisher of Natural Awakenings Chicago magazine, and Noah Plotkin, a Highland Park-based musician, event producer, and founder of Life Rhythms, which facilitates health and wellness in diverse populations through the power of rhythmic music. (His band, Noah's Jam Jam Bourrée, performed at the concert.)

Local Food Forum congratulates them all for highlighting the importance of local food and local musicians.

Enjoy this sample of photos from the event.

THE FOOD