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Saturday Sure Will Be An Eventful Day for Chicago Region Food Lovers
- Bob Benenson
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Plus a List of Other Upcoming Events
Since I got involved with the Chicago region local food community more than a dozen years ago, it has seemed that there are always one or two (or more) days that have multiple interesting events — leaving potentially attendees with difficult choices to make.
This coming Saturday (August 22) is one of those days. Earlier today (August 16), I published individual stories that highlighted the Alfalfa Festival outdoor music event at Farmers Rising in Caledonia, Illinois...
... and a Chicago urban farm dinner being staged by the microgreens experts at Closed Loop Farms, featuring a delectable menu created by two of the city's leading Indian food chefs.
And these are on top of another big event — already sold out — that will take place on Saturday at the new Obama Presidential Center. Here is how the Obama Foundation describes the event:
Here is how the Obama Foundation describes the "Food and the American Story" program:
Join acclaimed chefs and food leaders for a conversation on how food tells the story of America — through culture, migration, and identity. After the talk, explore tasting stations featuring local chefs from across Chicago.
Hear directly from chefs about how food connects to history, place, and belonging.
This program begins with a live conversation featuring Chefs Cliff Rome, Maya-Camille Broussard, Matthew Raiford, and Adrian Miller. The discussion explores how culinary traditions — from farming to baking to beverages — reflect personal and collective histories, including the movement of people and culture from the South to the Midwest.
After the talk, you can move into the atrium to try dishes prepared by chefs from across Chicago, in partnership with Chicago Chefs Cook. Event attendees must be 18+.
The event hits will keep on coming over the next few busy weeks. Here a quick-hit list of events that I'm informed about. Is yours missing? Let me know and I'll share it.
Thursday, September 10: Green City Market 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. Click here.
Saturday, September 12: 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. Click here.
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.
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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