A Harvest Festival to celebrate cultivating the soil to heal the spirit

Growing Healthy Veterans invites the public to our Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 15, from 12-4 pm, at the organization's North Chicago Commons Garden, 1682 Arrington Drive, North Chicago.

The Harvest Festival is a celebration of another successful season of Growing Healthy Veterans' mission to engage veterans and active duty military in sustainable agricultural practices to enhance their physical and mental health and overall wellness.

Offering delightful camaraderie complimented with food, music, chair yoga, cooking demonstrations, and a U.S. Marine veteran leading foraging instruction, Harvest Festival admission is free, and donations are appreciated.

"The Harvest Festival is a celebration of service Growing Healthy Veterans wanted to share with the public and our supporters," said founding president Ellen Ewing. "The Harvest Festival will also mark the beginning of planning the expansion of North Chicago Commons Garden next year."

North Chicago Commons Garden also successfully allowed North Chicago residents to connect with veterans and have garden plots to support Growing Healthy Veterans efforts.

On June 5, 2018, North Chicago Mayor Rockingham, with a unanimous vote of the City Council, donated fourteen acres of city-owned property for Growing Healthy Veterans to develop the North Chicago Commons Garden.

At the first North Chicago Commons Harvest Festival, Mayor Rockingham said North Chicago Commons Garden is "one of the best things that has happened in North Chicago in a long time."

Based in Waukegan Illinois, Growing Healthy Veterans is a 501(c)3 organization engaging veterans and active duty military in sustainable agricultural practices to enhance their physical and mental health and overall wellness while exposing them to multiple opportunities to connect with their communities.