So for those of you in Chicago that are in the food scene, this past weekend culminated the 7th year that Chicago Gourmet has been in existence. It’s always in September and it takes over Millennium Park. Tons of wineries, restaurants, breweries, chef tastings, cooking demonstrations fill the weekend.
This was my 4th year volunteering – and why do I volunteer? A few reasons: ONE: If you volunteer one day you get a free ticket to attend the event the other day for free (not bad!). TWO: I LOVE seeing the behind the scenes of how it all comes together. As volunteers we have to get there a few hours before it opens to the public. I love seeing all the culinary students prepping food, the restaurants setting up their food and being a small part of making it the best event for those attending. THREE: Networking! It’s a great chance to meet people in the industry – find out more about foodie volunteering events, and meeting great people. My first year I was paired with a woman Denise and we are still friends today! FOUR: My last reason: Meeting famous chefs! I’ve been pretty lucky over the years to have met so many great chefs like Art Smith, Cat Cora, Rick Bayless, Stephanie Izard, Lorena Garcia, Jimmy Bannos Sr. and Jr, Jeff Mauro and John Besh to name a few!
I’ve worked MANY areas in my 4 years. I assisted in the wine area, Blue Moon Beer, Bon Appetit small cooking demo, and the last 2 years I’ve been in the south pavilion where they showcase a few breweries, restaurants and a marketplace where you could buy artisan food products and t-shirts.
It hasn’t been all glamorous work. For example, yesterday I had to carry 20 pound bags of ice to fill up the bottle water bins, I had to carry many cases of water to refill them, clear off tables when people walked away from their table, pick up trash on the ground, break down boxes, etc… But despite that, being in that kind of environment is something I love. I don’t have a problem asking a chef how they make something, or ask questions about their restaurants. I talk to the people attending the event and enjoy hearing about what they think about Chicago Gourmet, and what’s not to love when you are in such a gorgeous place as Millennium Park surrounded by the beautiful skyline of Chicago?
If you would like to become a volunteer – just visit the Chicago Gourmet website. The date for next year is September 25-27, 2015. About May the volunteer link located at the bottom of the page will lead you to a form to fill out. That’s it!
So I will most likely be back for my 5th year next year. You never know what you’ll be doing, so that’s part of the fun!
