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Updated Food Events Lineup: So Much to Choose From, Starting Now
Cool Stuff This Week Gets the Ball Rolling
We have a vibrant and ever-growing community dedicated to a better food system, and the list of their community events is ever-growing too.
We start with two don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-them events this week, then the longer list of upcoming events.
These are only events that have come to my attention through emails or social media. Do you have an event coming up that's missing from the list? Contact me directly and let me know.
TODAY (September 15)
THE EVOLVED NETWORK INFO SESSION
ONLINE
Local Food Forum has published a number of articles hailing The Evolved Network non-profit and founder Sebastian White's innovation approach to providing underprivileged Chicago youths with food education, cooking lessons and life skills.
The webinar they are presenting on Tuesday from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. provides you with an opportunity to learn first-person from Sebastian and others who are closely involved with the program.
Click here below to register for the event, and tune in for an hour of inspiration.
THURSDAY (September 17)
ASIAN NIGHT MARKET (LIVE EVENT)
EDNA WHITE COMMUNITY GARDEN
1812 W. Monterey Ave., Chicago
Some readers surely know (or know of) Chef Won Kim, the extraordinary creator of Korean-Polish fusion food at Kimski restaurant in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. Next Thursday (September 17) from 6 to 9 p.m., he is presenting a pop-up Asian Night Market that will take place at the Edna White Community Garden at 1812 West Monterey Ave. in southwest Chicago's Morgan Park neighborhood.
The food vendors (also listed in the graphic above) are 3LP, Bayan Ko, Giong Giong, Haru Haru, Kanin, Kimsky, Nariae, Perilla, Pink Mu and S.K.Y.
No registration needed for this event... just show up, eat delicious food and have fun.
AND COMING SOON...
Thursday, September 24: Chef Cleetus Friedman has made a major impact as a Chicago food and beverage innovator. Join him at his passion project, the 18th annual Cooking Up a Cure event at Theater on the Lake in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood. The event, with an astounding lineup of leading chefs, raises money for the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago to fight the painful and sometimes deadly disease that took the life of Cleetus' father. Click here and scroll down for tickets.
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 Chicago's Godfrey Hotel. 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.
Friday, October 2: Illinois Environmental Leadership Council (IEC) is holding its annual Environmental Leadership Dinner at Chicago Hilton. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to celebrate the Illinois environmental movement, meet hundreds of passionate environmentalists, and celebrate State Senator Celina Villanueva and State Representative Lilian Jiménez for their leadership in advancing environmental justice in Illinois. Click here (ticket sales end Friday 9/18!)
Friday, October 2: You are invited to attend this year’s Nourishing Hope Gala - an elegant evening celebrating the power of community and the impact we are making together addressing food insecurity and provided social services (including mental health counseling) to those in need. The event will be held at The Geraghty event space on Chicago's South Side: Join fellow supporters, community partners and Chicago leaders for cocktails, a chef-crafted dinner, moving stories from their community, live and silent auctions, and dancing - all in support of their mission to nourish neighbors and build a stronger Chicago. Click here and then click Get Tickets.
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.
Tuesday, October 6: The Experimental Station non-profit is well known for food-related efforts such as the 61st Street Farmers Market and Link Up Illinois, which provides funding for programs at farmers markets and other retail outlets that double the value of benefits received by those on food assistance. Experimental Station also runs Blackstone Bicycle Works, which empowers young people through bicycles — and you can join the celebration of the program's 20th anniversary at Goose Island Taproom in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood. Click here for tickets.
Tuesday, October 13: Chicago Food Rescue launched in late 2024 and has had an immediate impact on reducing food waste while providing healthy food to those in need. You can celebrate their 2nd anniversary with an evening at Midwest Coast Brewing (Near West Side neighborhood) for an evening dedicated to honoring their accomplishments, their community, and the people who make it all possible. Click here to register.
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