Loulou Belle, a downtown Homewood business, is partnering with former Homewood public relations manager Rachael Jones to organize the Autumn Art and Farm Experience at Locavore Farm in Grant Park, Illinois, on Saturday, Oct. 21, from noon until 8 p.m. The fall festival will feature dozens of vendors, artists, workshops, live music, food and drinks.
Jones owns Locavore Farm, a 30-acre estate, with her husband Christopher. Event organizers thought it would be a great spot to celebrate the fall season.
“You can tour the farm. You can see how things operate over there,” said Lisa Komorowski, co-owner of Loulou Belle and Homewood Business Association director. “I think [Jones is] having this mushroom guy come in. And you can learn about mushrooms. So, it’s a little bit of hands-on experience as well.”
In addition to mushroom cultivation, the workshops are set to include information on breadmaking, beekeeping, gardening, permaculture, food preservation, sustainable living and tips on self-care and self-reliance.
“Weather permitting,” Komorowsk said there will be “bonfires and s’mores” as well.
Komorowski said some of the vendors will be the same sellers who’ve repeatedly been at the Homewood Artisans Street Fair. She said all the vendors were handpicked by her, Jones and Loulou Belle co-owner Dodi Wians to provide a wide range of shopping options.
“We have jewelry makers, textile people, pottery people. It’s a smattering of everything,” Komorowsk said.
Komorowski said this collaboration between Loulou Belle and Jones has been in the works for about two years now.
“We’ve always been talking about collaborating together and doing something, because when you go out on her property, it’s just so pretty. And to have the tents up with all the homemade artists, it’ll be special,” Komorowski said.
Admission is $10 for those 15 and older with tickets available on exporestock.com. The link can be found in a post on Loulou Belle’s Facebook page. Locavore Farm is on the County Line Road at 11588 N. 17500 E. Road in Grant Park.