NewsYour 2024 Green City Market Holiday Gift Guide

Posted Dec 12, 2024

The winter holidays are right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to purchase gifts for your local-food-loving friends and family! We’ve put together a list of some of our favorite seasonal products, gift bundles, and more from our indoor market vendors at GCM Avondale to inspire you.

Unwrap GCM's Holiday Guide below for ideas as our vendors unveil their festive products and deals throughout the remainder of December. 

A reminder that there are only two December markets (Saturday, December 14 & 21) until we close for the holidays. Stop by this weekend or next to pick up your local gifts!

Visit GCM Avondale

Jake's Country Meats

Jake's Country Meats has got all your holiday cuts for a delicious season. Check out what they have to offer and visit their holiday offerings on their website for more information. 

  • Smoked holiday hams - Bone-in or boneless, large or small. Naturally smoked and easy to prepare! 
  • Grazing gift boxes - Available in both small and large. Joining forces with fan-favorite cheese vendor J2K Capraio, Jake's has combined their charcuterie meats with J2K's artisanal cheeses, already packed for instant gifting!
  • Holiday stocking bundles - Includes 10 packs of pork sticks PLUS save $15 per bundle
  • Bacon flight bundle - Try the whole variety of Jake's bacons and save on cost too. 7 packages of bacon in each flight.
  • Midwest Surf & Turf bundle - The best of the land and lake! Grassfed lamb steaks and Great Lakes Walleye fillets at a discounted cost.

Sidekick! Ferments

Add a kick to your charcuterie plate this holiday season with fermented goodies from sidekick!. Folks can purchase in-person or place online orders at sidekickferments.com. sidekick! also offers free local delivery for orders over $45!

  • Paw Paw vinegar - Paw Paws sourced from Seedling Farms, aged for two months. Filled with tropical notes, subtle sweetness, and a crisp aftertaste!
  • Peach vinegar with oak wood - Peaches sourced from Mick Klug Farms, aged for three months. A subtle sweetness and notes of oak wood
  • Fermented honey & garlic with thyme - Sourced from Four Rivers Farm, fermented for three months. Full of immune boosting goodness, you can crush a clove on toast or drizzle honey on roasted veggies!
  • Dehydrated kimchi seasoning - sidekick!'s fermented kimchi dehydrated and blended into a powder. Sprinkle on eggs, breakfast potatoes or popcorn for an umami boost!

River Valley Ranch

This holiday season, River Valley Ranch is offering festive ready-to-give gift sets, perfect for holiday gifting! Packed with trios of RVR's best-selling items, these thoughtfully curated gift sets are perfect for the foodie or holiday host in your life. Each set comes beautifully packaged in a gift-ready box with handles, making gifting simple and stylish.
Available to order online, these gift sets can be shipped directly to anyone in the lower 48 states, making them the ideal choice for easy holiday giving.
  • Easy Entertaining Trio - This trio features three of River Valley Ranch's most-loved dips and spreads, perfect for any holiday spread or gathering. Whether for family, friends, or holiday guests, these delicious, crowd-pleasing spreads will be the star of your entertaining table.
  • Pasta Sauce Trio Set - Elevate your pasta dishes with this set of three best-selling pasta sauces. From savory to spicy, these sauces are crafted to enhance your favorite pasta recipes and bring bold flavors to every bite. A gift every home chef will appreciate!
  • Hot Sauce Trio - For the pepper lover in your life, RVR's Hot Sauce Trio brings together three of its most popular hot sauces, each with its own perfect balance of heat and flavor. It’s a spicy, flavorful gift that packs a punch, making it ideal for adding an extra kick to any dish. 

MINT CREEK FARM

Looking to feed your family and friends with nourishing, organic-pasture-raised meats? Order one of Mint Creek Farm's beloved holiday cuts for your seasonal gathering for your choice of delivery or pickup! 

Cuts of meat include Frenched rack of lamb, ground lamb, ground goat, pork tenderloin, whole turkeys and more! And don't forget the "Misc" section, which includes gift cards, bone broth, and eggs that can be paired with your market pickup or delivery. Browse the full inventory on their website here

TOMATO MOUNTAIN FARM

Tomato Mountain Farm offers gift certificates for home-delivered customizable CSA, starting as low as $81, which can be purchased here

These straight-from-the-farm customizable boxes of produce, include staples and specialty items delivered straight to your doorstep. And it's not just fruit and veggies -- Tomato Mountain has everything you need to live your best local life - eggs, milk, bread, cheese, meats, fish, tofu, sweets, preserves, and even spices! 

Tomato Mountain delivers throughout Chicagoland, where you can pay as you go and pause or cancel anytime. Each Friday, the farm will send an email with a list of what's fresh and amazing. Customers have until that Saturday night to customize and add to their box, which is then delivered the following week.

Not home during the day? Just leave out a cooler! 

Finn's Ranch

This holiday season, Finn's Ranch is offering several specials as part of their gift guide.

  • Meat boxes starting at $99 - Includes curated gift boxes filled with Finn's Ranch favorites
  • Buy 1, Give 1 - Finn's Ranch is giving back this holiday season! For every purchase on select items this month, they will donate directly to the Chicagoland Food Sovereignty Coalition to help families in need access nutrient-rich food
  • Gift cards - Give your loved ones the option to pick their favorite products with a Finn's Ranch gift card! Gift cards can be purchased online here

Gayle V's Best Ever Grilled Cheese

Warm up this winter season with Gayle's grilled cheese!

Any of Gayle's grilled cheese can be purchased at the market in their "to go" containers. Each sandwich is all made up - open the container, put in a pan or panini press and cut into small pieces for amazing appetizers or snacks. Or just buy a couple to have on hand for easy lunch/dinner for yourself or guests that might stop in.

They also offer in house on-site preparation of the grilled cheese & tomato soup, as well as a "to-go bag" which has a red (holiday only) Gayle's bag, a tub of butter, a loaf of Bennison's Bakery white sliced sourdough bread and a double pack of Prairie Pure Cheese sliced Butterkase cheese. Enough to make 8-10 sandwiches.

Email Gayle for more information or to place a pre-order gayle@gaylesbestever.com.

Ellis family farms

Starting December 14 and the 21st, Ellis Family Farms will be having a holiday basket of apples, a pint of cranberries, and your choice of a jar of apple butter or a jar of honey!

You can purchase these goodies in-person at the market or by sending an email to: Orders.ellisfamilyfarms@gmail.com.

SEEDLING FARMS

During the peak summer months, you probably stopped by Seedling's booth countless times for a refreshing smoothie. And this fall, our customers were clamoring for their delicious range of ciders.

This holiday season, Seedling is offering Eco Retreats to their farm in South Haven, Michigan, available for booking on Tock!

Scheduled for several weekends throughout 2025, these Eco Retreats include forest bathing, explorations, and labyrinth walking, and other unique ways of experiencing Seedling's orchard and the nature that surrounds it. Lunch and snacks are included!  

While we hope this holiday guide has helped kickstart your gift-giving spirit, a reminder that we have many other vendors selling a multitude of delicious goodies, so be sure to check our calendar for the full lineup and stop by this weekend and next! 

SUPPORT FOR GREEN CITY MARKET

Still eye-ing that "Made in the Midwest" tote bag you walk by every market week? Take advantage of our buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) sale still running through the end of the year!

Finally, give the gift of green this holiday season! Make a donation to secure the future of food with Green City Market. Your year-end, tax-deductible gift made on behalf of a loved one is a great way to honor their continued support of Green City Market's mission, as well as creating a beautiful, nutritious holiday for all Chicagoans. Make a donation online or stop by the GCM Info Tent at Avondale to purchase an official Green City Market gift card to share with your loved one. 

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We hope this list inspired you for all your local holiday needs! Pick up something cool from GCM Avondale? Be sure to snap a pic and tag @greencitymarket on Instagram.