Eat Good, Drink Good, Learn Good at the Good Food Festival

Entering its 11th year this month, the Good Food Festival & Conference presented by FamilyFarmed is one of Chicago’s preeminent celebrations of sustainable, locally sourced food, an ethos showcased by sustainable farmers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and more. Taking place March 19 through March 21 at the UIC Forum, the symposium features panel discussions, speakers, demos, workshops, and the Localicious food and drink tasting event.

Food businesses will want to take note of the Finance & Innovation Conference taking place all day March 19. Investors, funders, and lenders will be out in droves, along with speakers from Whole Foods, Eli’s Cheesecake, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, and more.

March 20 is the Good Food Trade/School Food/Producer/Policy Day, a multi-tiered arrangement of different tracks. The Good Food Trade track showcases food industry experts and information for buyers, sellers, and others in the sustainable market. Food Policy contains sessions and networking opportunities for those invested in making government policy connections and movements. Farm-to-school incentives is as the forefront of the School Food conference panel, while the Producer track is aimed at helping farmers find new opportunities and growth.

That evening is Localicious, the festival’s signature annual tasting event featuring chefs, restaurants, distilleries, and breweries from throughout Chicago. Paul Fehribach of Big Jones, Sean Sanders of Browntrout, and Eric Mansavage of Farmhouse are among the chefs in attendance, joined by the chefs who provide their ingredients, and craft beverage companies like Begyle Brewery, New Holland Brewery and Distillery, FEW Spirits, and others.

A bulk of the Good Food Festival happenings for the public take place Saturday, March 21. Family-friendly speakers, tastings, workshops, chef demos, and a Kids’ Corner comprise the crux of the festival, all with the impetus of furthering the Good Food movement for all. During the event, the main hall is outfitted with roughly 150 exhibitors that run the gamut from farmers and producers to retailers and non-profit organizations. Other events and fixtures that day include the Purple Asparagus Kids’ Corner filled with educational and fun food-related activities, an urban farm bus tour to places like Growing Home’s Wood Street Farm and Growing Power’s Iron Street Farm, and cooking demos between 10:30 am and 11:30 am by chefs partnered up with farmers.

Then there’s the Good Food Court, featuring dishes prepared by some of Chicago’s best locally minded restaurants, along with The Craft Drink Corner showcasing local craft beverages.

Good Food Festival & Conference
725 W. Roosevelt Road, Chicago
Website