From the Chefs at Play series to panels on how food affects your mood, this year's Good Food Festival will leave your mouth watering and your wallet brimming. For the first time ever, the annual festival will offer free admission to anyone who registers on the event's website.
Attendees will have access to a full menu of food-focused activities, including chef demos, panel discussions and tastings. As part of the Chefs at Play series, some of the best chefs in Chicago will host cooking demos. The lineup includes Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, XOCO and others), Paula Haney (Hoosier Mama Pie Company) and Aaron Lirette (GreenRiver), as well as The Butcher & Larder head butcher Rob Levitt.
Similar to past years, the event will feature an exhibition hall, family friendly activities and various speakers. Panels on topics such as "Good Food is Good Medicine" and "Mood and Food" will consider ways to integrate food and nutrition into healthcare, while an urban farm bus tour will take attendees offsite to visit three cutting-edge urban farms. As for kids programs, Purple Asparagus and chef Tom Van Lente will discuss efforts to bring fun food programs to the classroom.
Good Food Festival runs from 10am to 5pm on March 18 at the UIC Forum. Saturday's fest is part of the Good Food Festival & Conference—a three-day symposium presented by FamilyFarmed and Whole Foods Market that runs March 16–18.
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