On Saturday, October 16th, Growing Home rang in the fall season with their 2nd Annual HarvestFest event! Over 330 attendees gathered at the corner of 59th and Wood Streets for food and free family fun.
The lot next to Growing Home’s Urban Farm transformed into an open-air market featuring 22 talented Englewood entrepreneurs. By 3 PM, most vendors had sold everything they had brought! One such vendor reached out to Growing Home after the event “to say how impressed I was with the organization and what they do for the community.” Hundreds of shoppers browsed handmade crafts, accessories, clothing, jewelry, skincare products, herbal remedies, spices, teas, cocktails, candies, baked goods, and preserves. Throughout the afternoon, a fleet of food trucks churned out everything from barbecue to jerk to tacos.
HarvestFest’s free offerings were just as delightful. Kids excitedly sat for face-painting, decorated 200 Halloween pumpkins, danced in two inflatable bounce houses, and played ring-toss games for arcade-style prizes. Families took home fall photos, hygiene kits, and 200 boxes of fresh veggies from Growing Home, plus resources from IMAN, RAGE, and Metropolitan Family Services. One free food box recipient commented, “The box of fruits and vegetables I got were so fresh. I didn’t use my greens until a week later and they still looked good.”
This year, HarvestFest took place on the same day as Open House Chicago, Chicago Architecture Center’s annual citywide festival. Dozens of culturally significant sites opened their doors for free public tours, including Growing Home’s Urban Farm. Around 150 curious visitors from around Chicago came to Englewood for a farm tour and stayed to explore the local businesses at HarvestFest.
Growing Home is deeply thankful to the amazing partners, vendors, and donors who made HarvestFest a success. The 36-person volunteer crew, which included folks from NeighborScapes, the Rotary Club, and Northwestern University, deserves a special shout-out. Everyone’s hard work truly made October 16th a perfect start to a season of giving and gratitude!
