It’s farmers market season!
Summer is here and that means the return of farmers markets in Brookfield and Riverside, offering fresh fruit and vegetables; sustainably raised meats, fish and eggs; small batch prepared foods; artisan items and much more.
The Brookfield Farmers Market opens June 3 and returns every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 14 to the west parking lot of the Brookfield Village Hall, 8820 Brookfield Ave. Ian Leith provides the live entertainment for the season’s first market.
Visit brookfieldfarmers.com for more information.
The Riverside Farmers Market kicks off its 2023 season on June 7 and returns every Wednesday from 2:30 to 7 p.m. through Oct. 4 in Centennial Park, 10 Pine Ave., under the water tower in downtown Riverside.
In addition to fresh and prepared food, there is a rotating weekly Artisan Tent, live music and activities for children. More at facebook.com/Riverside.Farmers.Mkt.
Get ready to read
North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., and the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., launch their kids’ Summer Reading programs in the coming week with special events.
The Brookfield Library reading program kicks off June 1 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. You can get an extra badge on your Summer Reading log by attending while enjoying an ice cream treat and watching the amazing “scary” magic of The Great Boodini.
North Riverside Library is going all out with a Summer Reading Kickoff Party on June 3 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., during which the library will be closed. There will be face painting, a bounce house, snow cones, popcorn, raffles and more. No registration required.
Conversation with author Jesmyn Ward
Public libraries in Brookfield Riverside and Illinois Libraries Present invite you to join them for the virtual event “Navigate Your Stars: A Conversation with Jesmyn Ward” on June at 7 p.m.
Hailed as “the new Toni Morrison” by the American Booksellers Association, Ward will discuss her life, her literary vision and her unique perspectives on love and loss. Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the American Library Association, will join her in conversation.
The event will be held via Zoom. Register to attend and obtain a link at riversidelibrary.org/events or brookfield.evanced.info/signup.
Going native
The Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., invites you to join Holly Lewandowski and Dave Peterson for “Native Plants: How Can We Turn Habitat Losses into Gains” on June 3 at 3 p.m. in the library’s Meeting Room.
The Berwyn couple established the I Love Native Plants nursery in 2019 and will discuss how we can all participate in ecological reclamation, remediation and restoration. Register to attend by calling 708-485-6917, ext. 130 or at brookfield.evanced.info/signup.
RBHS tennis tourney fundraiser
The Riverside-Brookfield High School tennis team will host its annual tournament fundraiser, open to all members of the community, this summer with singles, mixed doubles and doubles tournaments, based on number of participants.
The cost to participate is $35 for singles and $30 for each doubles player (students 8-18 receive a discount) and all proceeds benefit the RBHS tennis program. The tourneys will be double elimination, guaranteeing everyone at least two matches. Prizes awarded to the top three places.
Doubles weekend is June 23-25, while singles weekend will be July 28-30 at the high school, 160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside.
Register to participate at tinyurl.com/RBTennisFundraiser. Email coach Sam Weiss at weisss@rbhs208.net with questions.
And more
- The Frederick Law Olmsted Society invites you to its next Landscape Workday on June 3 from 9 a.m. to noon at Indian Gardens. Come for as long as you like. Supervised children welcome. Service hour credits available. Bring work gloves and a bottle of water. All other supplies and snacks will be supplied. Look for the public works dump truck.
- Riverside Arts Center, 32 E. Quincy St., hosts “Introspective Dream Assembly,” paintings and mixed-media art by Ryan Burns and Ari Norris, and “Reflection of a Community as It Is,” large-scale drawings by Jesse Howard, through June 24. Gallery hours are Thurs.-Sat. 1-5 p.m.
There’s also “Everything Fades,” featuring the paintings of Natalie Shugailo at the Riverside Township Hall, 27 Riverside Road in Riverside through June 30. The township hall is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit riversideartscenter.com for more.
- North Riverside Public Library, 2400 Desplaines Ave., presents Big and Little Storytime (children w/adult) on June 5 at 10:30 a.m., Safari ABCs (child w/adult, every other week in Spanish) on June 7 at 10:30 a.m. and Bingo/Loteria (all ages) on June 7 at 4 p.m. Register for programs online.
- Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library, 3541 Park Ave., presents The Ghost in the Machine: Artificial Intelligence Image Generation 101 with Saverio Truglia on June 1 at 7 p.m., Chair Zumba on June 2 at 1:30 p.m., Legotastic Saturday on June 3 at 10:30 a.m., Chair Yoga (virtual) on June 5 at 11 a.m. and Cards & Coffee on June 6 at 10:30 a.m. and Storytime Stars (ages2-3 w/caregiver) on June 6 at 10:30 a.m. Call 708-485-6917 or visit online to register for programs.
- Riverside Public Library, 1 Burling Road, presents Mindful Chair Yoga on June 1 at 11 a.m., Boost Your Brain and Memory on June 1 at 6 p.m. and Crafting Connection on June 6 at 6:30 p.m. To register for programs, visit online.
- The Brookfield Elks Lodge, 9022 31st St., hosts bingo the second Sunday of every month. Doors open at 1 p.m. and games start at 2 p.m. with cash payouts.
