Breaking News: Strawberry Sighting!
Congratulations to our friends at Iron Creek Farm in LaPorte, Indiana, who were first to market with this year’s strawberries. They only had a precious few pints to sell and they went like, well, the first strawberries of the season. A good sign, though, that they’ll have more, and that the other growers won’t be far behind.
And oh boy, biting into that first juicy, super-fresh strawberry is some kind of special.
Also a personal thanks. I wrenched my right ankle on Friday. It could have been a lot worse and I’m amazed at how fast it is healing. But to ensure that I didn’t make matters worse — being kind of a klutz and all — our friend Susan gave Barb and me a lift to Wicker Park Farmers Market at 7:20 a.m. so I only had one day on the Market League’s Inactive List. Thanks, Susan!
What’s In Season
In This Issue
• The Week’s Market Schedule
• What’s in Season Photos
• Take a Quiz
Market Monday: Looping You In
Thursday is the season opening day for Daley Plaza City Market, the flagship of the public Chicago City Markets and one of the longest-running farmers markets in the Chicago metro area. This year’s kickoff has special significance: While many of the region’s independent markets opened in 2020 after weeks of delay caused by the COVID outbreak, the City Markets, including Daley Plaza, could not.
Daley Plaza is located in the heart of the city’s government complex, across Clark Street from City Hall. While it is unclear, despite Chicago’s accelerated reopening, how fast the downtown Loop will return to its traditional vitality, the return of the Daley Plaza market brings back a much-needed sense of normalcy.
There are also season openings this Saturday in exurban Huntley, suburban Park Ridge and Chicago’s South Loop. And apologies to Pilsen Community Market for missing your opening day Sunday — they are now in the listings for the season.
Tuesday, May 25
Weather.com Forecast: Mostly cloudy, stray shower/t-storm possible, high 82
Accuweather Forecast: Times of clouds and sun, high 81
Lincoln Square Tuesday Market, W. Leland & N. Lincoln Aves., Chicago
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Wednesday, May 26
Weather.com Forecast: Intervals of clouds and sunshine, high 78
Accuweather Forecast: A.M. thunderstorm, times of clouds and sun, high 84
Andersonville Farmers Market, 1500 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago
3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Green City Wednesday Market, 1817 N. Clark St., Chicago
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Palos Heights Farmers Market, 12217 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Heights
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Uptown Farmers Market, W. Wilson Ave. & Broadway, Chicago
2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 27
Weather.com Forecast: Considerable cloudiness, occasional p.m. showers, high 58
Accuweather Forecast: Considerable cloudiness, occasional rain, high 62
Daley Plaza City Market, 50 W. Washington St., Chicago
7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
LaGrange Farmers Market, 53 S. LaGrange Rd., LaGrange
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lincoln Square Thursday Market, W. Leland & N. Lincoln Aves., Chicago
3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Growing Home Wood Street Farm Stand, 1844 W. 59th St., Chicago
Noon to 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 29
Weather.com Forecast: Some clouds a.m., mainly sunny p.m., high 61
Accuweather Forecast: Intervals of clouds and sun, high 64
Division Street City Market, 100 W. Division St., Chicago
7 a.m. to noon
Downers Grove Farmers Market, 5001 Main St., Downers Grove
7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 1800 Maple Ave., Evanston
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Grayslake Farmers Market, 201 Center St., Grayslake
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Green City Market Lincoln Park, 1817 N. Clark St., Chicago
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Homewood Farmers Market, 18020 Martin Ave., Homewood
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Huntley Farmers Market, 11704 W. Coral St., Huntley
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kankakee Farmers Market, S. Schuyler Ave. & Merchant St., Kankakee
8 a.m. to noon
Oak Park Farmers Market, 460 Lake St., Oak Park
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Palatine Farmers Market, Smith and Wood Sts. (Train Station), Palatine
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Park Forest Farmers Market, 152 Main St., Park Forest
7 a.m to noon
Park Ridge Farmers Market, 15 Prairie Ave., Park Ridge
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
61st Street Farmers Market, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
South Chicago Farmers Market, 9000 S. Mackinaw St., Chicago
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
South Loop Farmers Market Printers Row, 632 S. Dearborn, Chicago
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 2001 N. Orchard St., Chicago
7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Woodstock Farmers Market, Historic Woodstock Square, Woodstock
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 30
Weather.com Forecast: Sunshine and clouds mixed, high 70
Accuweather Forecast: Sunny to partly cloudy, high 83
Logan Square Farmers Market, 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
95th Street Farmers Market, 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pilsen Community Market, 1821 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Vegan Paradise, 1400 W. 46th St., Chicago
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wicker Park Farmers Market, 1425 N. Damen Ave.,Chicago
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Click links below to find other regional markets at:
Illinois Farmers Market Association
Michigan Farmers Market Association
Wisconsin Farmers Market Association
More What’s In Season
Next Week: Markets, Markets Everywhere
While the biggest regional farmers markets (e.g. Green City, Evanston, Logan Square, Daley Plaza) open their seasons in May, the markets in many communities sit out the uncertainties of the early spring crops and wait til June. Now June starts next week, and the map lights up with an additional 28 markets on the Local Food Forum list. Look for the debuts of the following in next week’s Market Monday listing:
Monday, May 31: Hinsdale Farmers Market
Tuesday, June 1: Fox Lane Farmers Market; SOAR (Streeterville) Farmers Market, Chicago; Sycamore Farmers Market
Wednesday, June 2: Elmhurst Farmers Market; Garfield Ridge Farmers Market; Chicago Ravinia Farmers Market; Riverside Farmers Market
Thursday, June 3: Libertyville Farmers Market; Low-Line Market, Chicago
Friday, June 4: Lake Bluff Farmers Market; Lake Zurich Farmers Market; Schaumberg Farmers Market; St. Charles Farmers Market
Saturday, June 5: Brookfield Farmers Market; Crystal Lake Farmers Market; Elk Grove Farmers Market; Green City Market West Loop, Chicago; Horner Park Farmers Market, Chicago; Naperville Farmers Market; NorthCenter Farmers Market, Chicago; Plant Chicago Farmers Market; Streator Farmers Market; Winnetka Farmers Market
Sunday, June 6: Glenwood Sunday Market, Chicago; Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market; Portage Park Farmers Market, Chicago; Skokie Farmers Market
Take a Quiz
Who was the creator of the famed, towering metal sculpture seen during visits to Chicago’s Daley Plaza farmers market?
a) Miró
b) Picasso
c) Karpoor
d) Calder
Answer: b) The untitled 50-foot-tall, 160-ton sculpture — known simply as The Picasso — was unveiled with fanfare on August 15, 1967. Modernist Joan Miró was from Spain like Picasso, and his sculpture Chicago is nearby at 69 W. Washington St. Alexander Calder’s Flamingo is a few blocks away in Federal Plaza at 50 W. Adams, and Anish Karpoor’s reflective Cloud Gate, better known as The Bean, is a gathering spot in Millennium Park.