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(Photos: (C) Design Harvest)

West Town’s “Grand Avenue Design District” will prove to be a mecca for designers and design enthusiasts on September 20th and 21st when the best local home and garden designers come together for the aesthetic marketplace known as Design Harvest. Now in its 5th year, a revamped Design Harvest will focus more on the designers themselves, boasting a seminar tent with “how to” workshops by sponsor Houzz, design seminars, special guest speakers, expert design panels, interactive design demonstrations and more.

In addition to home and garden objects that range from vintage and antique to environmentally-conscious and modern, Design Harvest 2014 also features great local food vendors, cold beer, good wine, and live music by the Hideout. Christy Webber Farm & Garden Center sponsors family-friendly harvest time activities at their Fall Festival, including hay rides, petting zoo, pumpkin painting, and much more. Attendance each year has grown significantly, with media outlets annually touting Design Harvest as one of the “can’t miss” fests of the year.

Produced by the West Town Chamber of Commerce and a planning committee of local Grand Avenue Design District business owners, Design Harvest covers the wide spectrum of home design disciplines found throughout Chicago; as well as spotlights the design businesses specifically on Grand Avenue. The two-day program consists of a juried exhibition of tented vignettes, or “little stores,” each boasting unique themes and products for sale, a silent auction, and the all-new design seminars and Houzz how-to tent.

Besides perusing the participating designer’s vignettes in a large designer tent, fest-goers may sip sponsored wine and craft beer by Leinenkugel, enjoy great food from local restaurant vendors, grab a seat on a hay bale or listen to live music on the WXRT sponsored stage programmed by the legendary Chicago music venue, The Hideout.

The Design Vendors:
Design Harvest is a curated exhibition and vendors are hand selected by the producers and a jury of design experts. The high quality vendors will create vignettes inside a large scale white tent. The 2014 lineup of participating design vendors is TBA in subsequent release.

The Live Music:
Setting the weekend vibe will be the live musical entertainment area, programmed by Chicago’s legendary live music venue, The Hideout. Live music takes place throughout both days, featuring East of Edens Soul Express DJs both days, The Lawrence Peters Outfit at 6 pm on Saturday, and Golden Horse Ranch Band with a Huge Square Dance with Caller right in the street on Sunday at 4:30 pm. The rest of the live music schedule is TBA in subsequent release.

The Families Activities:
For children and families, there will again be a ton of fun-filled activities from 11 am to 4 pm both days at Christy Webber Farm & Garden Center. Activities include:

* ‘Free’ tractor hay rides between Design Harvest and Christy Webber Farm & Garden
* Petting zoo 11am-3pm both days
* Mini hay maze for young kids
* Face painting
* Build your own scarecrow! We will supply the straw, rope, sticks and advice – but YOU MUST bring your old clothes to make your scarecrow out of.
* Pumpkin carving demonstrations by creative pumpkin artists.
* Fall refreshments – apple cider and homemade baked goods.
* Multiple photos opportunities: fall settings, fun face cut-outs and farm tractors and landscape equipment to sit on. Bring your cameras!
* Visit the free range chickens and check out the huge and unusual selection of pumpkins, gourds, cornstalks and more! Free local delivery for those without cars!

The Fine Print:
Design Harvest takes place September 20th from 11 am to 8 pm and September 21st from 11 am to 6 pm on Grand Avenue from Damen to Wood. There is a $5 donation requested for admittance. This is a rain or shine event (vendors will be under large tents). For more information, visit http://www.design-harvest.com or find Design Harvest on Facebook at Facebook.com/designharvest, or call (312) 850-9390. More info on the Design District at http://www.grandavedesigndistrict.com.

Design Harvest 2014 sponsors include: West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Magazine, Chairs for Charity, Grand Avenue Design District, Houzz, Leinenkugel, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, WXRT, Hailo, Sameday Signs, The Hideout, Eurofurniture, Christy Webber Farm and Garden Center, Albany Steel & Brass, and Chicago Event Graphics.