Free, Fresh Corn At Lake Bluff's Annual Roast

LAKE BLUFF, IL — It's National Farmers Market Week and Lake Bluff is marking it with its annual tradition of free corn roasted by volunteer firefighters. The Lake Bluff Farmers Market has purchased about 600 ears of corn from its produce vendors, and on Friday morning, it all gets roasted and eaten, according to Gridley Swanton, manager of the 24-year-old market.

The Corn Roast has been a fixture of the market for at least the past 18 years, according to Swanton. It's held the second Friday in August, when corn is at its best in the Midwest. And for the last several years, volunteers from the Lake Bluff Fire Department right across the street from the market have been pitching in and manning the rented corn roaster. The roaster takes some time to heat up, so the first ears of corn are usually ready by 8:30 a.m., Swanton said. (Get Patch real-time email alerts for the latest news for Lake Bluff — or your community. And iPhone users: Check out Patch's new app.)

Other than the roast, the market has planned several other events for the morning, which is traditionally one of its most popular days all year. There will be library story time for kids from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Local singer-songwriter and Lake Forest High School alum Austin McGreevy is scheduled to perform from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and a balloon artist will be on hand from 10 a.m. to noon. There will also be images of animals, food and materials for kids to create farm-related art.

"It's part of our goal," Swanton said. "To get them to eat healthy and be aware of the farmer."

Lake Bluff Farmers Market Corn Roast
9 a.m. - 12 p.m., Friday Aug. 11
Village Green

_{Top photo: Corn roaster from previous Lake Bluff Farmers Market Corn Roast | Courtesy Lake Bluff Farmers Market}