Crunchy Culture

10/10/2026

A beautiful day for a trail half! 🍂🌲👟

​The Des Plaines River Trail Races experience was awesome. Hands down one of the best pre-race setups and most stunning courses in the area. They offer everything from a half marathon to a 50K and 50-miler, and seeing the ultra runners out there was so inspiring!

​The one thing I’d tweak? The post-race snacks. I'm thankful I had an Olympia Granola bar from last weekend, which saved the day.

​I always get a little FOMO on Chicago Marathon weekend (another favorite of mine), but that season will come around again... and who knows, maybe an ultra is in my future!

10/08/2026

Fall flavor meets local connection! Join us for our next Foodies & Founders meetup at Pixca in Highland Park! 🍂🍽🎑

Pixca (named after the ancient word for "harvest") is a local gem serving incredible farm-to-table dishes that highlight the best seasonal flavors.

​Whether you’re a local founder, community leader, or just someone who loves great, mindful food, this meetup is for you.

Thursday, 10/22 at 7pm. [Free to attend; 🔗 RSVP in bio links]

10/06/2026

Crunchy Culture wouldn’t exist without my right- and left-hand men! 🫶

​While I’m usually spotlighting our incredible community collaborators, today I'd like to give a shoutout to the boys behind the scenes. At least one of them is at almost every event, keeping things running and helping make magic happen.

​Hubby is our behind-the-scenes hero handling IT support, logistics, setup, photography and everything in between.

​And Crunchkin is our master connector with his outgoing energy and eagerness to help (he even helped set up our last event!)

​Their constant support means the world to me; Crunchy Culture is truly a family affair!

10/06/2026

The first Chicagoland GlutenFree Fall Fest was bigger than we ever imagined.

We wanted a place to eat, shop and enjoy time with loved ones without asking, “Is there anything here I can eat?” Thousands of you showed us how much this community needed that space.

Your stories about the joy of having choices, discovering new favorites and feeling understood are why we created this Fest.

Our extraordinary vendors, small local businesses, poured their hearts into this day. Their kindness, hard work and support meant so much, as did yours.

The turnout exceeded what our venue could accommodate, and Lake County officials stopped additional admissions.

To everyone who struggled to make it to the event or didn’t get to experience the Fest as you hoped: we are deeply sorry. You made plans, some traveled far, and you looked forward to a chance to enjoy food and community in a way that isn’t always easy to find. We hear your disappointment and the accessibility concerns, and your feedback will help shape what comes next.

To everyone who made the most of a disappointing situation by supporting local shops and restaurants: thank you for spreading that support beyond the Fest.

We have so much to be grateful for and so much to learn. Chicagoland needs this, with more space, parking, accessibility and thoughtfully managed capacity.

Thank you to our guests, vendors, sponsors and volunteers for your care, support and honest feedback. We are listening and learning.

With gratitude,

Sunny, Jane & Elena
Impossibly GlutenFree • Crunchy Culture • Holcomb Hollow

10/04/2026

The Chicagoland GlutenFree Fall Fest wouldn’t be the same without our incredible community! 🍁 🫶

​Huge thank you to all of the sponsors and supporters of the fest! Many will be at Brothers' Field tomorrow, so make sure to stop by their booths and say hi!

​Fest Sponsors:

Brothers' Field | Antonina's Gluten-Free Bakery | Sweet Ali's Gluten Free Bakery | Nourisherpa | American WildBurger | 1776 Restaurant | Jessica Renko | MZ’s Spotless Cleaning | Nueprint

​Raffle & Bag Supporters:

Cappello’s | My Dad's Cookies | October Café | Every Body Eat® - Flavor You Can Trust™️ | Umlands Crunchy Cheese | Olympia Granola | kleverbelly | Tala Coffee Roasters | Jessica’s Natural Foods | Gluten-free Products | Daria Shulishova

​Thank you for fueling our big GF family!

10/03/2026

Thank you 1776 Restaurant

We may not be there in person this weekend, but 1776 is absolutely there in spirit — celebrating all things gluten-free!

We are incredibly grateful for the passionate group of humans who dreamed up Gluten-Free Fest, believed in it, and then watched it take flight. Creating a space where the gluten-free community can gather, discover, celebrate and simply feel included is pretty special.

And we’re equally grateful for all of our GF friends, colleagues, bakers, makers, restaurants and small businesses who continue to show up for and support this community. There is so much heart behind what happens in the gluten-free world, and we’re proud to be a small part of it.

While we won’t be there in person this weekend, you’ll find a little bit of 1776 throughout the Fest! We sent coupons for the grab bags, put together a 1776 raffle basket, and we are especially excited to sponsor the BEST Home Baker Award — because anyone who has mastered the art of gluten-free baking deserves to be celebrated!

To everyone who dreamed it, built it, baked for it, supported it and will walk through those doors this weekend — thank you for continuing to build this community.

Have the BEST weekend, GF friends. And when the Fest is over, there’s always a seat for you at our table.

10/03/2026

Get excited! Chicagoland GlutenFree Fall Fest is TOMORROW (Sunday, 10/4)! 🍂😋

Get ready for amazing GF food, fun activities, awesome community, and live music at Brothers' Field in Long Grove.

​Check out the full fest guide including the updated vendor roster, event schedule, parking info, raffle, and more! (Link in comments).