Salad Days Start Early at Chicago's First May Markets
Spring Lettuce and Tomatoes Made First Appearance on First Saturday
Two of Chicago's legacy farmers markets — Chicago's Green City Market's flagship location and The Lincoln Park Farmers Market — are located just about three-quarters of a mile apart and are open simultaneously on Saturdays between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.
A big reason why these markets are able to coexist so well is that they are quite different in nature. Green City is a destination market, drawing thousands of visitors each Saturday. The Lincoln Park Farmers Market is a great example of a neighborhood market, focused mainly on its local community, with enough variety to be a one-stop shop but a more laidback atmosphere.
This Local Food Forum article has details about my visits to both markets on Saturdays. And if you’re heading out to any of today’s Sunday markets, there’s news about what’s new in our early May markets.
Nature Calling: Raucous Noise Reveals Return of the Herons
Trees at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo Hosts an Annual Bird Fest
Chicago's Green City Market — located in Lincoln Park (the actual park) — is one of the prettiest markets you're going to see. It also facilitates communing with nature during your comings and goings.
I'd wrapped up my shopping on Saturday, checked the schedule for the bus home, and saw that I had a 16-minute wait. Rather than just hang around, I decided to get some extra steps by walking a couple of stops up near Lincoln Park Zoo.
At the least I knew I'd be able to photograph some beautiful flowering trees. But as I approached the zoo, I heard a familiar raucous sound in the trees overlooking the street... a sure sign that the herons that nest in those trees had made their annual return.
This Local Food Forum article has relatively rare photos of these amazing birds, plus those flowering trees. A little Sunday Zen...