For Aurora resident Pam Pingleton, the opening of the midweek Aurora Farmers Market on Wednesday was a great thing.
“This market is right by me. I live on the West Side and this is very convenient,” she said as she prepared to buy some bread at the market at West Plaza, 1999 W. Galena Blvd. in Aurora. “I like the midweek option. I’m busy on the weekend, and it’s crowded downtown at the Saturday market. I go for the homegrown vegetables. Those are my favorite because you can never have anything else like it.”
The midweek Aurora Farmers Market will run from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 2. The Wednesday market is in addition to the weekend farmers market in the city, which is open from 8 a.m. until noon on Saturdays through Oct. 3 at Water Street Mall in downtown Aurora.
The midweek market was scheduled to open on July 1, but was delayed a week due to the extreme heat.
Aurora farmers market manager Felicia Freitag said the midweek market on the West Side “is a smaller version so it’s not as busy as the Saturday market and some people prefer that. The parking is a lot closer and less walking.”
The midweek market will feature nearly two dozen vendors each week, out of a pool of about 35 to 40 vendors, who will rotate in and out each week, Freitag said.
“We have about five to seven vendors that are specific only to Wednesday while most of the others are also at our Saturday market,” Freitag said. “Vendors will change weekly depending on how many weeks they have signed up for.”
Among the Wednesday-only vendors this year are Lellow Bear Bakery out of St. Charles – a sourdough and focaccia bakery – as well as DillaDawgs from Montgomery which offers quesadillas and hot dogs and Remi Lou Market of Elgin which serves Thai coffee and teas.
Juanita Rivera of Aurora was selling bread and pastries through her Biscocho’s business at the midweek market on Wednesday, and said she has been a vendor at Aurora markets for 12 years.
“I’ve been downtown and since they started (the midweek market) I’ve been coming here too,” she said. “I’m at both markets, and I like the midweek because people that can’t make it to the Saturday market – especially the elderly that live here across the street – they come here a lot just to get their goods. I’ll sell out of almost everything.”
The midweek market attracts about 300 shoppers a week, Freitag said.
“I live right over here on the West Side and, for me, this market is more convenient and it’s not as crowded as the one downtown,” said Romie Michael of Aurora. “It’s just more convenient for me. I can actually walk over here if I have to.”
Donna Beale of Montgomery said she goes to both the Saturday and midweek markets in Aurora and said on Wednesday her food options were in need “of a midweek refresh.”
“I need fresh tomatoes and pastries for my husband. He’s the pastry eater,” she said.
Johhanna Reed of Oswego said she likes the midweek farmers market “because it’s less chaotic.”
“It’s quick and easy,” Reed said. “You can come and grab a few things and head home.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
