WICKER PARK — Looking for heirloom pork salami to slice up and serve next to cubes of beer cheese, or want to put your name in the running for a free organic turkey?
Three markets in the Wicker Park area this weekend can help you jumpstart the holiday eating and entertaining season.
Here's the lowdown:
On Saturday and Sunday, over 40 vendors will descend on St. Nicholas School at 2200 W. Rice St. in Ukrainian Village from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., for its 4th Annual Winter Artisan Farmers Market.
According to the event's Facebook page, offerings include pastries, jams and honey in addition to gift items like ceramics and clothing. Tickets for an iPad mini raffle will be $2 each, while guests can also be entered into a free raffle for an organic turkey.
To keep young ones entertained, school volunteers will staff a children's area with activities, crafts, and face-painting too.
On Sunday, Noble Square's Bitter Betty Bazzar pop-up market promises "capitalism, collectivism and cocktailism," according to a flier for the event , which will take over Innertown Pub at 1935 W. Thomas St. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Located one block south of Division Street and one block east of Damen Avenue, the bazaar will be packed with two floors of vendors offering locally made gifts, gourmet food and spice gift bags from Chicago Avenue's Epic Spices.
In Wicker Park, the weekly Dose Market returns to the 1st Ward event space in the back of the Chop Shop at 2033 W. North Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
According to organizers, this week's theme of "Kitchen Bliss" showcases items to make your time in the kitchen fun and tasty, with an array of vendors providing wares for holiday parties and dinners such as European hot "sipping" chocolate, cooking oils, and prepared soup and cocktail mixes.
Among the highlights are heirloom pork salami from Bolzano Artisan Meats and the debut of G & C Pantry Co. a new line of dry goods that sells flavored hot sauces including sweet potato, smoked Jalapeño and "Kitchen Brine" varieties.
If you're not sure what kitchen brine hot sauce would taste like, guests or "dosers" as the organizers call them, can taste samples of the hot sauces used in cold fried chicken and cornbread, according to the market's latest newsletter.
