Nice Happy Hour Buzz at South Loop
On Thursday, I dropped by the opening evening for the South Loop Farmers Market at Grant Park (actually just across the street from Grant Park on the southeast corner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt Road).
The market was well-attended and the backdrop of the city’s skyscrapers is quite lovely. I’ll have more below, but first, our weekly public service announcement about the weekend farmers market schedule.
The Weekend’s Chicago Region Markets
The forecast is beautiful weather to enjoy a farmers market outing and buy delicious, fresh, locally and sustainably produced food from our region’s farmers.
Saturday, June 3
Batavia Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., N. River St. betw. Willow and Spring
Brookfield Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 8820 Brookfield Ave.
Division Street City Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 100 W. Division St., Chicago
Downers Grove Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Main St. Train Station
Downtown Evanston Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., University Place and Oak Ave.
Elk Grove Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 901 Wellington Ave.
Grayslake Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 201 Center St.
Green City Market Lincoln Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1817 N. Clark St., Lincoln Park, Chicago
Green City Market West Loop, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mary Bartelme Park, 115\ S. Sangamon St.
Homewood Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Martin Square
Horner Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2741 W. Montrose Ave., Chicago
Huntley Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Town Square
Kankakee Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., S. Schuyler Ave. & Merchant St.
Mercado de Colores, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4345 W. 26th St.
Naperville Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 200 E. 5th Ave.
Oak Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 460 Lake Ave.
Park Forest Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., 152 Main St.
Park Ridge Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 15 Prairie Ave.
Palatine Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., Palatine Train Station
Plant Chicago Mini-Market, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 4459 S. Marshfield Ave. Chicago*
61st Street Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., 6100 S. Blackstone Ave., Chicago
South Chicago Farmstand, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 9000 S. Mackinaw, Chicago
Streator Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Streator City Park
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., 2001 N. Orchard, Chicago
West Humboldt Park City Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3601 W. Chicago Ave.
Winnetka Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 510 Green Bay Rd.
Woodstock Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Historic Woodstock Square
*Plant Chicago will hold a full-scale market in Davis Square Park every 3rd Saturday — the first is on June 17 — and mini-markets on other Saturdays.
Sunday, June 4
Farmers Market at the Dole, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 401 Country Club Rd., Crystal Lake
Frankfort Country Market, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Breidert Green & 1 N. White St.
Glenwood Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Glenwood Ave. betw. Morse & Lunt, Chicago
Hyde Park Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1516-1528 E. 54th St., Chicago
Logan Square Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3107 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
Maxwell Street Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 800 S. Desplaines St., Chicago
Mount Prospect Lions Club Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Northwest Hwy. & Main St.
95th Street Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1835 W. 95th St., Chicago
North Chicago Farmers Market, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., 1730 Lewis Ave.
Pilsen Community Market, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1821 S. Blue Island Ave., Chicago
Portage Park Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4000 N. Long Ave., Chicago**
Skokie Farmers Market, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 5127 Oakton St.
Wicker Park Farmers Market, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1425 N. Damen Ave., Chicago
**Portage Park Farmers Market is open two Sundays a month through August
Back to the South Loop
The Thursday evening market is one of two run under the name South Loop Farmers Market. The opening of the longer-running Saturday South Loop Farmers Market at Printers Row has been delayed, though, because of ongoing construction in the market’s vicinity. A revised opening day is to be announced.
The Grant Park market is in a relatively small space and with the nice turnout for opening day was a little crowded in spots, especially where prepared foods were being sold (it was dinner time, after all). But there was plenty of farm-fresh food, including the spring onions, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, strawberries and rhubarb from my friends at Los Rodriguez Farm (Eau Claire, Michigan).
Zeitlin’s Delicatessen bagels are some of the best in town. And if you catch them on a day when they have bialys, they are some of the best I’ve had, and I’m a Jewish kid from New York.
I was pleased to run into my friends from Fresh Picks, based in suburban Niles, which has been doing farm-to-home local food deliveries since 2006. Local Food Forum on May 24 reported on Fresh Picks’ new meat subscription service, Pasture Picks.
Entertainment was provided by a jazz-centric band of seasoned musicians.
And my modest market haul from left: baba ganoush from Meze Table (Chicago); asparagus, strawberries and hothouse heirloom tomatoes from Los Rodriguez Farm; and sesame bagels from Zeitlin’s Delicatessen.
Have a beautiful weekend and buy local.