Celebrate the Harvest at the Ann Arbor Local Food Festival Thursday, Aug. 28

The Ann Arbor Local Food Festival is returning Thursday, Aug. 28, 5–8 p.m. for an evening of flavor, community and celebration. Hosted at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market, 315 Detroit St. in Kerrytown, the event will be fun for the whole community and is free to attend.

This annual celebration invites families, food lovers and local food advocates to explore and enjoy the richness of Michigan’s food and farming scene. Tastings, demos, live music, games, prizes and hands-on learning opportunities showcase the value and vitality of a strong local food system through:

• Seasonal cooking demonstrations from local chefs, Chef Joseph Van Wagner of Echelon Kitchen and Bar who will prepare a dish of glazed baby carrots with gruyere foam at 5:30 p.m.; and Chef Dugan Walser of Washtenaw Community College who will prepare roasted kohlrabi, sauteed kale and Tuscan cannellini bean spread at 6:30 p.m.
• Locally sourced food from an array of food trucks, carts and pop-up vendors (available for purchase)
• Live music by the Community High School Jazz Band
• Interactive exhibits and activities, including an heirloom produce tasting, compost toss game, and prize drawing — plus a community food leader storytelling circle at 6 p.m.
• 20+ local organizations on hand to share resources and opportunities to get involved in building a resilient and equitable local food system 

New this year, the Local Food Festival will also mark the public launch of the much-anticipated A²ZERO Community Cookbook, a free and practical resource for sustainable eating in the Ann Arbor area, featuring over 70 recipes and tips from members of the Ann Arbor community, along with stories of local food leaders at the forefront of the community’s sustainable food movement. Attendees can preview the cookbook, with the opportunity to win a free copy. 

This event is a collaboration between the Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, the Ann Arbor Farmers Market and Argus Farm Stop, all working together to connect community members to the people, programs and practices that make local food accessible and practical. 

For more information about the Ann Arbor Local Food Festival, visit www.a2gov.org/localfoodfest. To learn more about the city’s carbon neutrality plan, which supports local food system work and dozens of other programs to advance the Ann Arbor goal of achieving a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030, visit www.a2zero.org.

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Media Contact: 

Azella Markgraf, Sustainability Coordinator, Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations, amarkgraf@a2gov.org