Residents and visitors came out Wednesday to the Oak Forest Metra station to explore the village’s first farmers market in years.
“It’s been between 10 to 15 years that they haven’t had one,” said Rae Zekas, a marketing manager for Bosco’s Marketplace in Tinley Park and organizer of the market. “It’s been in several different spots.”
Bosco’s Marketplace co-hosts farmers markets across the south and southwest suburbs, including in Tinley Park and New Lenox. Zekas, a former Oak Forest resident, said she’d reached out to the village with the idea.
“It needed it. We need this for the community,” Zekas said. “I think we need to start focusing on the small businesses locally, promoting revenue, bringing the community together.”
Zekas said the first day went well and she hopes to add vendors as the summer progresses.
“So far I’m really impressed with how many have come out today,” Zekas said.
Oak Forest resident Megan McSherry, who described herself as a farmers market connoisseur, said she was glad to see the long-dormant market back, and hoped to see it expand.
“I hope it just grows, I hope it just stays around and I hope it grows,” McSherry said.
Compared to some other villages, McSherry said, Oak Forest doesn’t really have a defined downtown or many events to draw people to the area, meaning the farmers market could fill an important gap.
“I’d love to have something else in the community, especially like in summer,” McSherry said.
There are farmers markets all across the south and southwest suburbs. Tinley Park’s market opens Saturday and will be open on Saturdays throughout the summer at Harmony Square, 6700 North Street.
Frankfort’s Country Market opened earlier than most, in late April, and is also open on Saturdays in the village’s downtown. During the 2025 season, the village highlighted vendors with short videos focusing on categories like sweet treats and spicy foods.
One way Zekas aimed to make the Oak Forest market stand out is by holding it in the afternoon on alternating Wednesdays, while many farmers markets take place on weekends.
“I kind of like this being in the middle of the week. The goal is for them to grab dinner, let the kids have some fun,” Zekas said. “Just breaking up the work week.”
Oak Forest resident Chick Reardon, who lives just two blocks from the market, provided live music Wednesday, covering classic rock hits such as Bruce Springsteen’s “Hungry Heart” and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Bad Moon Rising” on acoustic guitar as visitors wandered between vendor stalls.
“It’s wonderful. I mean, I was wondering how big it would be the first week, and it looks like there’s a decent amount of vendors,” Reardon said. “I really hope that this is going to get some attention and we can build it from there.”
Reardon said Zekas recruited him to provide music just the day before the market.
“I got her number and texted her, and she said ‘I got an opening for tomorrow,'” Reardon said. “I’m hoping to do it whenever I can. Should get some other talent, too. I know there’s a lot of local musicians.”
Many vendors were from Oak Forest and the surrounding communities.
“We have a variety. I’m trying to keep it as much as possible with community businesses. Residents, home-based businesses, and the farmer-like style,” Zekas said.
Leah Fuelling, Oak Forest resident and owner of skincare brand Heckman Farms, said it was the first market she’d sold at.
“It’s been fantastic,” Fuelling said. “It’s been going really well.”
Trinity Radtke, owner of It’s a Crafty Life by Trinity, lives in neighboring Crestwood.
“It’s really nice so far. It’s a good turnout. It’s a little hot, but we’re dealing with it,” Radtke said, laughing.
Both Radtke and Fuelling said it was great to have a local market to sell at so close by.
About seven miles away from the Oak Forest Metra stop, the annual Homewood farmers market opened for its summer season Saturday.
While the Oak Forest market has just returned from a long hiatus, the Homewood market has operated for more than 40 years, according to the village’s website.
Christine Banks, the coordinator, said the Homewood market was expanding this year.
“We have 70 vendors throughout the season, which is about 30 new vendors,” Banks said. “What I’ve been doing over the past year and a half is basically doing a lot of research to see what the Homewood community wanted, what was missing in the market previously.”
Last year, the Homewood market was named the second best farmers market in Illinois by American Farmland Trust, which has generated additional interest, she said.
“We actually had quite a wait list. It was a record number of applications,” Banks said.
This is Banks’ second year running the market. During and after last year’s summer season, she said, she polled visitors and vendors to see what they wanted from future seasons.
“I talk to everybody as they’re walking in, and you get requests sometimes,” she said.
Some people ask if there is a meat vendor, a cheese vendor or honey for sale.
“If we didn’t have them, that was kind of like, you know, making a mental note that those are the different categories we wanted to hit,” Bank said.
In response to that feedback this season the market added a dedicated meat vendor, two coffee vendors and two juice vendors, and dedicated more space to farmers.
“We have about, I’d say probably 15 stalls dedicated to farmers this year, which is a lot more than we’ve had in previous years,” Banks said.
Another change, Banks said, is the Homewood market now has a dedicated Facebook page. She said it has been a great tool for reaching out to the community, especially if a vendor cancels.
“So that’s another new thing, and definitely something that I would recommend any farmers market add,” she said.
elewis@chicagotribune.com
