The American Indian Center and Global Gardens Chicago are excited to invite you to our Green Corn Festival on Sunday, November 2nd from 1-6pm. Events will take place at the farm at 4815 N Sacramento as well as the AIC at 3401 W Ainslie St,. The Green Corn Festival is a historic indigenous festival to celebrate the first corn harvest, so come and enjoy the bounty with us! The days activities will include:

• Native seed saving guided walk

• Corn husk doll making

• Openlands Tree tours

• Fall pollinator scavenger hunt

• Canning & Fermentation Class

• Pumpkin smash composting station

• Community meal + story time by the fire

• Farm & Art Market

Exact schedule of events to come!

If you’re interested in becoming a vendor for our Farm & Market, please click below:

While most of the activities will be donation-based, there are some events that require paid tickets. Please see below for the ticketed workshops you can attend:

U-pick (Every half hour from 1:00 – 4:00 PM)

Meet one of our refugee market farmers as they guide you into their garden plots to help you pick your own fresh vegetables. Each person will get to decide which 5 vegetable bunches they would like depending on varieties available. Tickets are $30.

Fermentation & Canning Workshop (1:00 –2:00 PM)

Come learn how to can your garden fresh veggies to prepare for winter with Vargo Brother Ferments. Tickets are $15 and cover supplies and vegetables. A short demo of fermentation will also be provided.

Ukwakhwa: Our Foods with Becky and Steve Webster

Becky and Steve Webster are enrolled citizens of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and founders of Ukwakhwa: Tsinu Niyukwayay^thoslu (Our food: Where we plant things), a ten-acre homestead dedicated to teaching traditional Haudenosaunee foodways. Through their nonprofit and YouTube channel, they share knowledge about planting, harvesting, seed keeping, and preparing traditional foods as acts of cultural reclamation and sovereignty.

Corn Mush Class (2:00 – 3:30 PM)

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn the traditional process of making corn mush — from pounding corn into flour using wooden corn pounders to sifting it through black ash baskets. The class will end with cooking corn mush sweetened with maple syrup for everyone to enjoy a warm taste of this traditional dish.

Kanastohale Class (3:30 – 5:00 PM)

This session invites participants to make kanastohale, a traditional Haudenosaunee corn dish that can be prepared either savory (with beans) or sweet (with berries and maple syrup). Participants will learn shaping methods for loaves, dumplings, or turtle molds, and explore traditional wrapping and cooking techniques using fresh corn leaves or dried husks.