Not only will dozens of Midwest farmers soon be trucking their produce to Chicago and the suburbs as the annual season of farmers markets opens, but many of them again will donate unsold fresh fruits and vegetables to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, a not-for-profit agency that provides food to needy Chicago area families.
Rather than take extra produce home or sell it to other purveyors, an increasing number of vendors have given several hundred pounds of food a week to the depository in the last three years, said Carolyn Orzac Shoenberger, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Consumer Services. It has been a fine, convenient way of helping those less fortunate, she said.
The City of Chicago will kick off its farmers market season Thursday with a market from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Daley Plaza, Washington and Dearborn Streets. Subsequent markets will take place at the plaza June 30; July 7 and 21; Aug. 4 and 18; Sept. 1, 15, and 29; and Oct. 13 and 27.
The city also will run a monthly downtown market from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 14, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and Oct. 6 at the Prudential Building Plaza, Lake Street and Beaubien Court. Other new markets this year will be in the Jefferson Park, North Halsted Street and Rogers Park neighborhoods.
Hours for all the neighborhood markets this year are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday markets
Saturday markets in Chicago run June 25 through Oct. 22 at the following locations:
Austin: Iowa Street and Central Avenue in the parking lot of Byford School.
East Edgewater: Winthrop and Thorndale Avenues in the Swift School parking lot.
Englewood: 63th and Halsted Streets.
Far North: Granville Avenue and Leavitt Street in the Stone School parking lot.
Gately: 103rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in the Wendell Smith School parking lot.
Lincoln Park: near intersection of Armitage Avenue and Halsted Street in the Lincoln Park High School parking lot.
Morgan Park/Beverly: 95th Street and Ashland Avenue in the parking lot of the Third Baptist Church.
Near North: Division Street between Dearborn and State Streets.
Near South: 29th Street and Martin Luther King Drive in the parking lot of Dunbar Vocational High School.
Tuesday markets
Tuesday markets will take place weekly June 28 through Oct. 25 at the following locations:
Lincoln Square: at the intersection of Lincoln, Leland and Western Avenues in the city parking lot.
Logan Square: at the intersection of Kimball Avenue and Drummond Place in the city parking lot.
Monthly Tuesday markets will take place at:
North Halsted: Broadway at Halsted Street in the Faith Tabernacle parking lot on June 28, July 26, Aug. 23, Sept. 20 and Oct. 18.
Rogers Park: Ashland Avenue south of Howard Street, July 5, Aug. 2, Sept. 6, Oct. 4 and 25.
Wednesday markets
Wednesday markets will take place June 30 through Oct. 20 at the following locations:
Lawndale: 1100 S. Homan Ave. (at Grenshaw Street) in the parking lot of the Community Bank of Lawndale.
Six Corners: 4650 W. Irving Park Rd. (at Clover Avenue), near the intersection of Milwaukee and Cicero Avenues, behind Sears.
South Shore: 71st Street and Jeffrey Boulevard in the parking lot of South Shore Bank.
A monthly Chicago Lawn market will take place June 29, July 20, Aug. 17, Sept. 14 and Oct. 12 at 62nd Street and Kedzie Avenue in the Citibank parking lot.
A twice-a-month market will take place July 14 and 28, Aug. 11 and 25, Sept. 8 and 22, and Oct. 6 and 20 at Jefferson Park: Ainslie Street east of Milwaukee Avenue.
Suburban locations
Following is a partial suburban listing of farmers markets. If you do not find a market listed here for your community, call your local chamber of commerce or the city or village hall in your area. No opening date is given for markets that already have begun.
Aurora: Water Street Mall, 44 E. Downer Pl., Saturdays, 7 a.m. to noon, June 4 through Oct. 29.
Brookfield: 3700 Grand Blvd., Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 7 through beginning of October.
Des Plaines: River Road and Perry Street in the parking lot, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 9 through Oct. 22.
Downers Grove: Just east of Main Street, in the train station parking lot, Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., July 9 through Oct. 1.
Elmhurst: 536 S. York St. in the York State Bank parking lot, Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 8 through middle of October.
Evanston: At the intersection of Maple Avenue and University Place, Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., June 4 through Oct. 29.
Glencoe: 675 Village Ct., next to Village Hall, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 18 through Oct. 15.
Highland Park: Dean Avenue between St. Johns and Roger Williams Avenues, Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 15 through Oct. 26.
Hinsdale: Between Hinsdale Avenue and 1st Street in the Garfield Park parking lot, Mondays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 27 through Oct. 10, except Independence Day.
Homewood: The 17900 block of Dixie Highway, in St. Joseph’s Church parking lot, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., July 9 through Oct. 15.
La Grange: parking lot between the village hall and the Saxon paint store, on La Grange Road between Harris and Cossitt Streets, Thursdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 15 through Oct. 6.
Lake Bluff: On the Village Green, near Scranton and Center Avenues, Fridays, 7 a.m. to noon , June 24 through Oct. 14.
Lisle: Family Plaza on the southeast corner of Main Street and Ogden Avenue, Saturdays, 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., July 2 through Oct. 29
Naperville: Fifth Avenue Station north of the Amtrak tracks, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 4 through Oct. 29.
Northfield: New Trier West High School parking lot on Happ Road, 5 blocks south of Willow Road, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon, June 11 through Oct. 29.
Oak Lawn: 9600 Yourell Drive (at Cook Avenue), Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., June 29 through Oct. 26.
Oak Park: intersection of Lake and Elmwood Streets in the Pilgrim Congregational Church parking lot, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 4 through Oct. 29.
Palos Park: 12312 88th Ave. in the Presbyterian Community Church parking lot, sponsored by the Palos Park Woman’s Club, Fridays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., July 1 through Oct. 14.
Park Ridge: Prairie and Garden Streets behind Main Street, Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 4 through Oct. 29.
Schaumburg: Schaumburg transportation parking lot, 123 N. Roselle Rd., Fridays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 17 through Oct. 14.
Skokie: Oakton Street, one block west of Lincoln Avenue in the parking lot between the Skokie Public Library and the village hall, Sundays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 26 through Oct. 30.
Wilmette: Central Avenue parking facility, Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 18 through Oct. 15.
Winfield: Prairie Trail Center on the southeast corner of Country Farm and Geneva Roads, Wednesdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 8 through Oct. 26.
Villa Park: St. Charles Street at Ardmore Street in the village police parking lot, Tuesdays, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 7 to Oct. 25.
