Two events this weekend will be putting the spotlight on local food. On Saturday the 10th the Homegrown Festival will take place in Ann Arbor from 6-11pm. Food vendors such as the Grange, Zingerman’s, Silvio’s Organic Pizza, Pilar’s Tamales, the Raven’s Club, the Red Pepper Deli, the Lunch Room, Humble Hogs, Arbor Brewing Company, and Mill Pond Bread will be providing many dishes to choose from. Libations from B.Nektar, Sandhill Crane Winery, and Arbor Brewing Company along with others will be on hand as well. Vendors such as Roos Roast, Old Pine Farms, Eden Foods, and Great Harvest Bread Company, to name but a few, will be selling their wares and live music will be provided on two stages. Chef demonstrations will show attendees how to make mozzarella and decorate cakes, and there will be hands-on craft projects for the kids. Admission and street parking is free, and the Washtenaw Biking and Walking Coalition will be hosting a bike valet for those pedaling to the festival. The Homegrown Festival will be at the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market in Kerrytown at 315 Detroit Street.
Also taking place on Saturday the 10th from 6 to 11pm is an artist’s reception at 323East Gallery in Royal Oak. Sponsored together with the production team of the documentary Urban Roots, which follows the urban farming phenomenon in Detroit, the exhibition showcases the work of artists interpreting what the urban farming movement looks like now, and what it will be in the future. Urban Roots has received such a good reception at screenings in the U.S. and Canada that it has received attention from celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and street artist Shepard Fairy, who created a limited-edition poster for the film. As described in a press release on 323East’s website the exhibition “will encourage local farmers and artists to celebrate the creation of food and art that represents both the city and its citizens who grow locally”. The Urban Roots Group Exhibition will be on display at the gallery until October 5.