A Peek Into The Early May Markets
And breaking news: Lincoln Park Farmers Market opens this Saturday
More Signs of Spring
The blossoming of this tulip tree, just up the block from our apartment, is one of our favorite spring arrivals. Those flowers just burst on the scene over the past couple of days.
Please read our farmers market openings update, and keep scrolling for some more walkabout photos from this delightfully warm April weekend.
Lincoln Park Market Opens Saturday
Plus a Peek Into May for the First Big Round of Openings
Breaking news: We get to squeeze one more April farmers markets opening, just in the nick of time. Lincoln Park Farmers Market, located for more than 40 years at Lincoln Park High School on Armitage, has gotten all of its approvals and will open for the season this Saturday (April 30).
The market, which will be open Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., will again be managed by the marvelous Elsa Jacobson. Said Alisa Baum, Program Director of Chicago City Markets for the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events: “The Chicago City Markets program is excited to welcome back The Lincoln Park Farmers Market for its 41st season. In the past two years, despite the pandemic, this market has grown and flourished. With an excellent array of vendors, the Lincoln Park Farmers Market is an asset to the community.”
So here is what our last short April farmers market schedule looks like:
Open: Green City Market Lincoln Park, Chicago, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark
Open: Grayslake Farmers Market, Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.
Open: Woodstock Farmers Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m, Historic Woodstock Square
April 30: The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard, Chicago
And now let’s whet your appetites for early May, when the first big slug of market openings in our region begins.
May 1: 95th St. Farmers Market, Sundays, 8 a.m to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
May 3: Lincoln Square Tuesday Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to noon, Lincoln & Leland, Chicago
May 4: Green City Wednesday Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark, Chicago
May 4: Uptown Farmers Market, Wednesdays 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., 4620 N. Broadway, Chicago
May 5: La Grange Farmers Market, Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 53 S. La Grange Rd.
May 5: Lincoln Square Thursday Market, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lincoln & Leland, Chicago
May 7: Division Street Chicago City Market, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon, Chicago
May 7: Downers Grove Farmers Market, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5001 Main St.
May 7: Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, University Place and Oak Ave.
May 7: Green City Market West Loop, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 115 S. Sangamon St.
May 7: Kankakee Farmers Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, S. Schuyler and Merchant
May 7: Park Forest Farmers Market, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon, 152 Main St.
May 7: Palatine Farmers Market, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 137 W. Wood St.
May 8: Logan Square Farmers Market, Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
What’s Up at Uptown
My friends at Chicago’s Uptown Farmers Market — entering its second year at the site of the future Chicago Market Co-op — shared the following update of what they have planned.
[Note to farmers market managers: Have news? Send it (to bob@localfoodforum.com) and we’ll share it.
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Uptown Farmers Market
website: uptownfarmersmarket.org
Wednesdays, May 4 to Nov 2 from 2:30 - 7:00pm (rain or shine)
at Wilson & Broadway in Chicago Market's parking lotmany beloved vendors returning and a lot of exciting new ones too (current list is up on the website). Some new ones:
Baba Bags - reusable shopping bags handmade in Ukraine
Everybody's Coffee - a neighborhood favorite using Fair and Direct Trade coffee
Not Your Nonna's Pasta - chef-owned (Amelia Miller) making fresh, small-batch pastas using seasonal and farm-fresh ingredients
Urban Canopy - urban farm of growers, distributors, and composters (among their other goods they will be carrying mushrooms from River Valley Ranch)New this year - Uptown Sidewalk Social\\
The Uptown Farmers Market is a weekly outdoor market that delivers a rotating collection of local and regional produce from farmers, specialty food producers, farm-to-table artisans, and more. Locals stop by for delicious local groceries or heat-and-eat meal options. This year, you can sit and enjoy a drink at the Uptown Sidewalk Social put on by Uptown United. This "pop-up beer garden" will activate North Broadway with tables and chairs during the farmers market and also offer a selection of local beverages.The market accepts SNAP and offers Link Match, which doubles SNAP purchases for fresh local fruits and vegetables (see full Link Match info below)
We'll be repeating our weekly Raffle for Market Bucks (sponsored by Alexis Zimmer from State Farm and Chicago Market)
Chicago Market is raffling $25 in CHICAGO MARKET BUCKS after every weekly farmers market. Registering is easy and open to all - stop by the Chicago Market booth, say hi, and fill out our sign-up sheet. We'll notify winners before the next market and you can use BUCKS at any Uptown Farmers Market vendor. Full details here.The market is not just dog friendly — we encourage them to come along! And we feature them in our Pups of Uptown photos on Instagram and Facebook. Pups of Uptown is sponsored this year by Wagnolia Veterinary Clinic.
The Uptown Farmers Market is produced by Chicago Market and supported in part by a grant from the Uptown SSA.
Link Match is brought to you by Link Up Illinois.
Link Up Illinois is making healthy, local, farm-fresh foods more affordable and accessible by doubling the value of Link purchases at farmers markets, farm stands, food co-ops, and independent grocery and corner stores across Illinois.
Link Up Illinois is a program of Experimental Station. You can learn more at www.linkupil.org.
Spring, Back
The first azalea blossoms of the season.
Close-up tulip tree flowers.
Anyone know what these big yellow flowers are?