After visiting European sustainable farmer’s markets in 1998, Abby Mandel, chef, author and entrepreneur, returned to Chicago determined to create a similar market in her own city. Green City Market was her brainchild and began as a small startup with nine local farmers in the crosswalk next to the Chicago Theatre with a handful of farmers and only a few more shoppers. The Market quickly outgrew the location and moved to the south end of Lincoln Park, where it currently operates May-October, drawing thousands of visitors and featuring locally grown food and many of Chicago’s most renowned chefs. Four years ago, the Market continued to remain open November-December, first in Lincoln Park Zoo, and later moving to the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
Culinary Historians of Chicago
