This article was updated on May 22, 2018, with updated information on farmers markets near Lakeview in 2018.
One of the many great things about spring and summer in Chicago is the farmers markets. There are quite a few farmers markets throughout the city, most of which open in May and stay open through September or October.
If you’re looking for fresh vegetables, meats and baked goods, it’s hard to beat the farmers market. Some of them also feature hot prepared foods, workshops, yoga classes and other activities.
Below are some farmers markets that are close to Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood.
Nettelhorst School, Broadway and Melrose
Open April 22nd- November 4th
The Nettelhorst Chicago French Market is part of the series of markets organized by Bensidoun USA. Located in the Lakeview East neighborhood, it features local and Michigan produce, baked goods, fresh flowers, all natural local meats, artisan crafts and more.
Click here to learn more about the Nettelhorst Chicago French Market.
2732 N Clark Street
Open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 am – 1 pm (May – October)
The Green City Market is a large market on the southern end of Lincoln Park. It features a variety of vegetable, fruit, dairy, meat, baked goods and seafood vendors. It also features vendors selling hot sauce, tofu, and other goods.
The Green City Market holds periodic events as well, including chef demonstrations and a chef barbecue. On Thursday, July 19, they will be holding the 2018 Chef BBQ. The Chef BBQ features over 100 Chicago restaurants and beverage purveyors providing tasting dishes and drink tastings. Another member of the Wirtz Corporation family, Breakthru Beverage, is a “Local Food Leader” sponsor of the Chef BBQ. Tickets for the 2018 Chef BBQ start at $25 and can be purchased at gcmbbq.eventbrite.com.
Learn more about Green City Market and browse a complete list of vendors at greencitymarket.org.
700 W Armitage Avenue
Open Saturdays, June 2 – October 27, 7 am – 1 pm
The Lincoln Park City Market is a neighborhood favorite. A little smaller than the Green City Market, it’s a popular go to for fruit, vegetables and other essentials.
Learn more about the Lincoln Park Farmers Market at lincolnsquare.org/farmers-market.
Photo credit: Gemma Billings via Flickr. (license)
Updated 04/24/2018 to include information about spring events for 2018.
Spring has officially started! Residents of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood have some fantastic upcoming events in and around the neighborhood to enjoy this spring. Below are some highlights.
Lincoln Park hosts the 20th Chicago Kids and Kites Festival on Saturday, May 5. In conjunction with Chicago’s Year of Creative Youth, the City of Chicago will be providing free kite kids at this year’s event (while supplies last).
Children can build, decorate and fly their own kites, or watch professional kite flyers wow the crowd. The Windjammers International Kite Team will be performing their synchronized kite flying maneuvers this year. There will also be a Big Kite Candy Drop, a piñata-like kite filled with candies that drop from the sky. Other activities include face painting and balloon artists.
The Chicago Kids and Kites Festival is from 10 am – 4 pm on Saturday, May 5. It will be held on Cricket Hill in Lincoln Park (Lake Shore Drive, between Montrose Ave. & Wilson Ave.). Admission is free. Click here to learn more.
Located at the corner of Ashland and Barry, Mayfest features live music, a kids day, and local vendors. The live music happens inside a large tent, so even if the weather doesn’t cooperate you can still enjoy the weekend festivities.
Mayfest takes place from May 18-20. Tickets for the event are $10. Click here to learn more about Mayfest.
The 4th Annual Lincoln Park Wine Festival is a fun event for all wine fans. This year’s event has expanded from two days to three days. The event features brand ambassadors and sommeliers discussing wine. It features over 80 different wines available for tasting, including wines from Argentina, Chile, France, Italy and New Zealand. You will also be able to enjoy live music, food and wine pairings, artist vendors and food/products from wine-related vendors.
The Lincoln Park Wine Festival takes place May 18-20 at Jonquil Park, 1001 W Wrightwood Avenue. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
As one of the first summer outdoor festivals, the Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival is a great start to the season. The festival includes music from some of Chicago’s favorite cover bands. The festival also includes a variety of food and drink options and local artisans.
The Belmont-Sheffield Music Festival takes place from noon-10 pm daily on Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27. Click here to learn more.
Photo: Peter Merholz via Flickr. (license)
The Tavern Club at 333 N Michigan has been named one of the best new event spaces of 2018 by Crain’s Chicago Business!
“Once a social club frequented by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright, Carl Sandburg and William Wrigley, this space on Michigan Avenue has undergone a $60 million renovation—and received the 2017 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence—to revive its status as a community oasis on the Mag Mile.”
Learn more about The Tavern Club at 333 at tavernclub333.com.
YoChicago has included Wirtz Residential in their 2018 list of Chicago’s best landlords.
They say the following about Wirtz:
“Wirtz Residential has more than 80 years of residential ownership and management expertise in the Chicago area. Wirtz has dozens of properties in prime near-lakefront locations, including a broad selection of apartments in Lakeview at 2970 N Sheridan, 529-41 W Wellington, 535 W Cornelia & 634 W Stratford, 3000 N Sheridan, 422-24 W Melrose, 3240 N Lake Shore and 3260-3270 N Lake Shore. Wirtz’ latest offering, 2950 North Sheridan in Lakeview, opened for occupancy in April of 2017.”
We’ve had some really, really cold days so far this winter. When the temperature doesn’t raise above single digits, it can be hard to plan activities that involve spending time outside. Even shopping can be difficult, as you go in and out of stores.
Fortunately for those who live in Chicago’s Lincoln Park and Lakeview neighborhoods, there are some great options for winter day activities. You don’t have to stay inside all day just because it’s cold out (though no one would blame you if you did). Below are some of our favorite things to do on a cold, winter day in Lincoln Park and Lakeview.
Located just north of the Lincoln Park Zoo, The Peggy Noebaert Nature Museum is a great place to spend a winter day. Since it’s difficult to enjoy nature when it’s freezing outside, this may be the second best option. Explore the butterfly haven, check out the many exhibits and learn more about nature in Chicago and throughout the world.
Keep an eye out for free admission days for Illinois residents. There’s one coming up on Thursday, January 18! Learn more about The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum at www.naturemuseum.org.
There are some great movie theater options for those living in Lakeview and Lincoln Park. If you’re looking for a new Hollywood release, Landmark Century Theatre is a good choice at 2828 North Clark Street. If you’re in the mood for an indie film, there’s always some great picks at the Music Box Theatre (3733 North Southport Avenue).
Unabridged Bookstore, 3251 North Broadway, has been one of Chicago’s favorite bookstores for over 35 years. You can easily spend a couple of hours browsing their large selection of books. You can pick up a couple to read at home so you don’t have to go out in the cold again!
Learn more about Unabridged at www.unabridgedbookstore.com.
Just down the street from Unabridged Bookstore is Reckless Records. Reckless has three locations in Chicago. Their Lakeview location is at 3126 North Broadway and features an extensive collection of vinyl records, CDs and more. You’ll find new releases, albums from local artists and many used records ready for you to browse.
Learn more about Reckless Records at reckless.com.
Sluggers in Wrigleyville is well known for its combination of bar and game center. The second floor of the bar features batting cages, pop-a-shot basketball, air hockey, virtual driving games and more. If you really need to get out of your apartment and let loose on a cold day, Sluggers may be the right choice for you.
Sluggers is located at 3540 North Clark Street. Learn more about them at www.sluggersbar.com.
This post was updated on December 19, 2017, with new last-minute shopping ideas for 2017.
The holidays are quickly approaching! If you’ve accidentally left someone off your holiday shopping list or haven’t had the time to finish shopping, fear not. Living in Chicago gives us some great options for last-minute gifts. We have so many great local businesses that you can quickly pick up a locally-made gift in time for the holidays. Below are some ideas.
Know someone who always wanted to play guitar or has a creative eye? Getting them a gift certificate for a music or art classes can be a great choice. Fortunately, there are some great options near Lakeview as well. Lill Street in Ravenswood offers a variety of painting, photography, ceramics and other mediums. The Chicago Mosaic School in Edgewater offers a variety of mosaic art classes. The Old Town School of Folk Music in Old Town offers guitar, banjo, piano and other music classes for kids and adults.
Garrett Popcorn is always a good choice when you’re not sure what to buy for someone. If you need a gift for a new resident of Chicago or need to take it with you on a trip, a tin of Garrett’s famous “Garrett Mix” is a good option. The caramel/cheese blend is a Chicago favorite. It’s always enjoyable to watch someone’s reaction when they try it the first time!
Garrett Popcorn has many locations in the Chicago area where you can pick up your last minute gift. Find a location and learn more at www.garrettpopcorn.com.
If you have a coffee lover on your list, you’re in luck. Chicago has some fantastic local coffee roasters. Dark Matter Coffee sells a variety of packaged coffee, including barrel-aged coffees made with barrels from local Chicago distilleries and breweries. Ipsento Coffee sells their freshly-roasted coffee from a variety of different origins. Other local Chicago favorites like Intelligentsia and Metropolis sell packaged coffee as well.
With the Cubs winning the World Series this year, Cubs gifts are a safe bet. For those living in Wrigleyville and Lakeview, you can pick up Cubs gifts in the neighborhood. One option is Wrigleyville Sports at 959 W Addison Street, across the street from Wrigley Field.
Blackhawks gifts are popular this time of year as well. Wrigleyville Sports has a great selection of Blackhawks items, or you could head to the Blackhawks Store at 333 N Michigan Avenue.
Chicago distilleries have become popular in recent years. For the whiskey fan, Few Spirits and Koval Distillery have some excellent options. Koval also has some great vodka choices. For gin drinkers, try Letherbee Distillery. Letherbee has a limited edition holiday label for the season.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Wirtz Residential!
We’re thrilled to announce that Hero Coffee Bar will be opening in the first floor of 2950 N Sheridan in early 2018! This will be their fourth location, with others in the Loop, Roscoe Village, and Bucktown.
Learn more about Hero Coffee Bar at hero-coffee.com/.
333 N Michigan Avenue is featured in a recent episode of WTTW’s Chicago Tonight show. The segment discusses the three busts on the corners of the building near the 30th floor. The segment also discusses 333’s history and recent renovations.
You can watch the segment at http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2017/10/25/ask-geoffrey-what-are-those-faces-michigan-avenue.
333 N Michigan Avenue will take part in Open House Chicago this weekend, October 14-15. The Chicago Architecture Foundation hosts the seventh-annual event. The free event takes the public behind the scenes at more than 200 of the greatest spaces and places in the city and near suburbs.
Open House Chicago is part of a worldwide movement of free open house events that began in London in 1992. It started as a small nonprofit organization to promote public awareness and appreciation of London’s building design and architecture. Today more than 30 cities on five continents hold similar weekend festivals. Open House Chicago is the largest event of its kind in North America.
333 N Michigan Ave was also awarded a 2017 Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence by the Commission on Chicago Landmarks. The award honors outstanding projects that involve notable improvements to individual Chicago Landmarks or to buildings within Chicago Landmark Districts.
A recently completed $50 million dollar renovation has added modern amenities, LEED certification, and newly built suites to the Landmark 333 N Michigan building, a beautiful, Art Deco structure designed by Holabird and Root, and built in 1929.
Learn more about 333 N Michigan Ave at 333michigan.com.
This post was updated on September 6, 2017, with information about 2017 festivals in Lakeview and Chicago’s northside.
The summer is starting to wind down. Although many of the popular neighborhood festivals have already happened, there are still some great festivals to enjoy in September. Below are four festivals happening in September in Lakeview and other Chicago northside neighborhoods.
Located along Broadway between Belmont and Hawthorn, the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts is a great time for people of all ages. This year will be the festival’s 13th anniversary. It features live music, an arts showcase with over 150 participants, family activities and a garden oasis.
Learn more about the festival at lakevieweastfestivalofthearts.com
This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Lakeview Taco Fest. If you’re a fan of tacos, you won’t want to miss this festival. Enjoy tacos from a variety of Chicago restaurants, many of which have won “best of” awards. You will also be able to watch Mexican wrestling and live music throughout the two-day festival.
The Lakeview Taco Fest is located on Southport between Addison and Rosco. Learn more at LakeviewTacoFest.com
The Edgewater Arts Festival features over 100 exhibiting artists, live music, food, drinks and more. The family-friendly event also includes a children’s activity corner, young artist showcase, and children’s music talent show. Bring your pet along too!
The festival is located at 1030-1140 W. Granville Ave. Learn more at www.edgewaterartists.com/edgewater-arts-festival.html.
Celebrate the coming of fall and Bavarian culture at Oktoberfest Chicago, which is celebrating its 17th anniversary this year. Located in Lakeview at Southport and Lincoln, the festival will have plenty of brats, pretzels and beer. It also features live music from pop and Bavarian artists. On Saturday and Sunday afternoon the “kinderfest” will have games and activities for children and families.
Learn more about Oktoberfest Chicago at oktoberfestchicago.org/.
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