By Brendon Smith
Willy Street Co-op
Festival Perks Pass
Once again, we’ll be giving out a limited number of Festival Perks Passes to Willy Street Co-op Owners. The Pass entitles the bearer to receive half-priced meals and beverages during a three-hour span at one of the following upcoming festivals:
▪ Good Neighbor Festival, valid Saturday, Aug. 29, 2:30 pm–5:30 pm, distributed at Willy West only starting Aug. 17 at 10 am.
▪ Northside Festival at Mallards stadium, valid Saturday, Sept 12, 11 am–2 pm, distributed at Willy North only starting Aug. 31 at 10 am.
We’ll distribute up to 1,000 Festival Perks Passes for each of the festivals on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. Learn more at willystreet.coop/owner-festival-perks.
Plates, bowls, and silverware return to Co-op Delis
In July reusable plates, bowls and silverware returned to our Delis. The reusable wheat straw plates and bowls are sturdy and don’t add plastic to the waste stream. We’re also offering stainless steel silverware, even for to-go options. Customers can use the silverware, then bring it back to a dish tub the next time they shop at the store. We’ll wash and sanitize it, then put it back for others to use. Even if some silverware doesn’t return or is accidentally discarded, it’s still a cost-effective and sustainable solution.
Eat Local Month
Supporting local farmers and makers is important to us. Approximately one-third of all of the products Willy Street Co-op sells are local, and we’ve dedicated the month of September as Eat Local Month. (We define “local” as the area within 150 miles of the state capitol building or anywhere in Wisconsin.)
It’s our 16th year of using the month to highlight our wide variety of locally grown, locally raised, and locally made products and the people who make them. Local foods tend to be fresher than those shipped from across the country or farther away, and fresh food has more nutrients. You’re also supporting your local farmers and keeping the agricultural viability of their communities alive.
We’ll offer sales on a variety of local products, give away $600 worth of local products each week, offer free samples of local products, and share stories from some of our hundreds of local vendors. By Sept. 1, you’ll be able to see all the details at willystreet.coop/ELM.
