No $20 Viral Smoothies Here—How ALDI Created an Outdoor Farmers Market Pop-Up

At the smoothie stand, visitors could snag the Not-Your-$20-Strawberry-Glaze Smoothie, which was inspired by the viral smoothie from a popular LA grocery store.Photo: Courtesy of ALDICHICAGO—Grocery store chain ALDI hosted a 10,000-square-foot farmers market in June at The Green in Chicago. Filled with booths showcasing produce, cheese, artisanal bread, premium meat, and nonalcoholic beverages, the pop-up aimed to introduce visitors to the retailer's year-round offerings.

“The ALDI Farmers Market was born from a simple idea—to show that premium products don’t have to come at an outrageous price tag. At ALDI, we believe everyone deserves access to high-quality, fresh ingredients. So, we brought our premium produce, meats, cheeses, bread, and zero-proof beverages into a lively, open-air setting to inspire attendees on how to make farmers market-level meals that only taste expensive,” explained Bridget Kozlowski, director of communications at ALDI, about the concept. 

For example, at the smoothie stand, visitors could snag the Not-Your-$20-Strawberry-Glaze Smoothie, the retailer’s take on Hailey Bieber's viral (and pricey) smoothie found at LA grocery store Erewhon. 

During the event, attendees could play branded cornhole and listen to live music, as well as take home a branded tote bag that they could fill with samples from the booths. 

As for hosting the event in Chicago, Kozlowski said that “the Midwest is truly the heart of ALDI U.S. Our U.S. headquarters is based just outside the city, and we operate over 30 stores within the city limits. Hosting the ALDI Farmers Market here was a chance to play on our own turf and give Chicagoans a first-hand taste of the premium ALDI products we’re proud to offer.” She added that there aren’t any plans to bring the pop-up to other cities.

Even though the date of the farmers market needed to be moved at the last minute due to the possibility of summertime storms, the event was a success. More than 600 Chicagoans visited during the three-hour pop-up.

“When forecasts pointed to potentially disruptive weather, our team quickly assessed alternate options. The decision to shift the date involved coordinating with venue partners, vendors, buyers, media attendees, and production teams to ensure alignment,” Kozlowski said. “Ensuring a seamless and comfortable experience for attendees was our top priority.” 

Keep scrolling to see more key vendors and from the ALDI Farmers Market...

VENDORS

Catering/Recipe Creation: Blue Plate Catering  
Catering Tents: Castle Party Planning 
Event Production: Liven It Up Events
Farm Stands: Kehoe Designs 
Games/Giant Grocery Bag: Busy Bee Promotions
Printing/Signage/Totes: Doot-Russell