Category: Chicago

Chicago City Markets

There is nothing better than sweet corn and tomatoes picked just hours before eating. Beginning in May and continuing through late fall, Chicago affords plentiful opportunities to buy the freshest produce, herbs and flowers from area farms.

Consult the In-Season Produce Calendar for Illinois for help in planning seasonal menus.

The following is a complete list of weekly markets in the City of Chicago for 2021.

* Indicates market is managed by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. Others are managed independently by community groups, chambers of commerce, or commercial operators. Check website links to confirm information provided here.

MONDAYS

Austin Harvest Farmers Market
Managed by By the Hand Kids Club
423 N. Laramie Avenue
June 12 – December 10, 2 – 6pm

Edgewater Monday Market
Broadway Armory
5917 N. Broadway Street
June 7 – August 30, 3 – 7pm

TUESDAYS

Gary Comer Youth Center
7244 S. South Chicago Avenue
June 22 – October 29, 3 – 6pm

Lincoln Square Farmers Market
2309 W. Leland Avenue
May 4 – November 23, 7am – 1pm

SOAR Farmers Market
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 E. Chicago Avenue
June 1 – October 26, 7am – 2pm

WEDNESDAYS

Andersonville Farmers Market
1500 W. Catalpa Avenue
May 12 – October 20, 3 – 7pm

Austin Harvest Farmers Market
Managed by By the Hand Kids Club
423 N. Laramie Avenue
June 12 – December 10, 2pm – 6pm

Garfield Ridge Farmers Market
6072 S. Archer Avenue
June 2 – September 29, 3 – 7pm

Green City Market – Lincoln Park
1817 N. Clark Street
May 5 – October 27, 7am – 1pm

Pullman City Market *
11100 S. Cottage Grove Avenue
July 7 – October 27, 7am – 1pm

Ravenswood Farmers Market
4900 N. Damen Avenue
June 16 – October 13, 4 – 7pm

Roseland City Market *
Part of Chicago Public Schools Farm-to-School Program
Lavizzo Elementary School
200 W. 109th Street
August 25 – October 13, 2:30 – 5:30pm

Star Farm / Back of the Yards Farmers Market
5256 S. Ashland Avenue
June 9 – October 13, 3 – 7pm

Uptown Farmers Market
4620 N. Broadway Street
May 5 – November 24, 2:30 – 7pm

THURSDAYS

A Just Harvest Farmers Market
1631 W. Jonquil Terrace
July 29 – November 25, 2 – 5pm

Amita West Town Health Farmers Market
2233 W. Division Street
June 3 – October 28, 12 – 6pm

Austin Town Hall City Market *
5610 W. Lake Street
June 10 – September 30, 1 – 6pm

Daley Plaza City Market *
The longest-running farmers market in Chicago
50 W. Washington Street
May 27 – October 14, 7am – 2pm

Lincoln Square Farmers Market
2309 W. Leland Avenue
May 6 – October 28, 3 – 7pm

Low-Line Market
3400 N. Southport Avenue
June 3 – October 28, 3:30 – 7:30pm

PCC Austin Farm Stand
330 N. Lotus Avenue
June 3 – October 28, 10am – 12pm

South Loop Prairie District
1936 S. Michigan Avenue
June 17 – September 30, 4 – 8pm

FRIDAYS

Austin Harvest Farmers Market
Managed by By the Hand Kids Club
423 N. Laramie Avenue
June 12 – December 10, 2 – 6pm

Englewood Village Farmers Market
Managed by Grow Greater Englewood
5800 S. Halsted Street
July 9 – October 15, 4 – 7pm

Gary Comer Youth Center
7244 S. South Chicago Avenue
June 22 – October 29, 3 – 6pm

LaFollette Park Farmers Market Pop-Up *
In partnership with the Chicago Park District
1333 N. Laramie Avenue
July 9 & 30, 2:30 – 5:30pm

SATURDAYS

61st Street Farmers Market
6100 S. Blackstone Avenue
May 15 – November 20, 9am – 2pm

Division Street City Market *
100 W. Division Street
May 15 – October 30, 7am – 12pm

Edgebrook Neighborhood Farmers Market
6525 N. Hiawatha Avenue
July 3 – September 25, 9am – 1pm

Englewood City Market *
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Roller Skating & Bowling Center
1219 W. 76th Street
July 17 – September 18, 10am – 2pm

Garfield Park Neighborhood Market
The Hatchery
135 N. Kedzie Avenue
June 12 & 26, July 10 & 24, August “14 & 28, September 11 & 25, October 9 & 23, 10am – 2pm

Green City Market – Lincoln Park
1817 N. Clark Street
May 1 – November 20, 8am – 1pm

Green City Market – West Loop
115 S. Sangamon Street
June 5 – October 30, 8am – 1pm

Heart of Culture Farmers Market
3249 W. Harrison Street
June 19 – October 19, 8am – 1pm

Horner Park Farmers Market
2741 W. Montrose Avenue
June 5 – October 2, 9am – 1pm

Lincoln Park Farmers Market
2001 N. Orchard Street
May 1 – November 20, 7am – 1pm

Mercado de Colores
Manuel Perez Memorial Plaza
4345 W. 26th Street
June 5 – September 25, 11am – 3pm

Mother McCauley MAC Market
3737 W. 99th Street
June 12 & 26, July 10 & 24, August 14 & 28, September 11 & 25, 9am – 2pm

Nettelhorst French Market
3252 N. Broadway Street
April 17 – October 30, 8am – 2pm

Northcenter Farmers Market
Northcenter Town Square
4100 N. Damen Avenue
June 5 – October 30, 8am – 1pm

Plant Chicago Farmers Market
Davis Square Park
4430 S. Marshfield Avenue
June 5 – November 13, 11am – 3pm

South Loop Farmers Market (Printers Row)
632 S. Dearborn Avenue
May 29 – October 16, 9am – 1pm

West Humboldt Park City Market *
In partnership with NHS Chicago
3601 W. Chicago Avenue
June 5 – October 9, 10am – 2pm

SUNDAYS

95th Street Farmers Market
1835 W. 95th Street
May 2 – October 31, 8am – 1pm

Bronzeville City Market *
4700 S. King Drive
July 11 – September 26, 10am – 2pm

Glenwood Sunday Market
1233 W. Pratt Boulevard
June 6 – October 24, 9am – 2pm

Hyde Park Farmers Market
1516-1528 E. 54th Street
June 13 – September 26, 8am – 2pm

Independence Park Farmers Market
3900 N. Springfield Avenue
2nd and 4th Sundays, June 13 – October 24, 9am – 1pm

Jefferson Park Sunday Market
Irish-American Heritage Center
4626 N. Knox Avenue
June 13 & 27, July 11 & 25, August 8 & 22, September 12 & 26, October 10 & 24, 9:30am – 1:30pm

Logan Square Farmers Market
3107 W. Logan Boulevard
May 9 – November 28, 10am – 3pm

Maxwell Street Market *
A Chicago Tradition of Bargains and Bargaining with and International Flavor
800 S. Desplaines Street
June 6 & 20, July 4 & 18, August 1 & 15, September 5 & 19, October 3, 17, & 31, November 7 & 21, December 5 & 19, 9am – 3pm

Pilsen Community Market
1800 S. Blue Island Avenue
May 30 – October 31, 9am – 3pm

Portage Park Farmers Market
5353 W. Irving Park Road
June 6 & 20, July 18, August 1, 15, & 29, September 5 & 19, October 3, 10am – 2pm

Remixing the Narrative Farmers Market
11001 S. Michigan Avenue
July 11 – October 24, 11am – 3pm

Roscoe Village Farmers Market
Jahn Elementary School
3`149 N. Wolcott Avenue
June 13 – October 17, 9:30am – 2pm

Vegan Paradise Farmers Market
The Plant
1400 W. 46th Street
April 4 – October 31, 11am – 3pm

Wicker Park Farmers Market
1425 N. Damen Avenue
May 16 – November 14, 8am – 2pm

The 606

The 606, also known as Bloomingdale Trail, is a one-of-a-kind, linear, elevated, public park, converted from the old Bloomingdale Line—a retired section of the Chicago transit system that runs east-west through the Logan Square, Humboldt Park and West Town neighborhoods (originally built in 1837). The 606 brings together arts, history, design, trails for bikers, runners, and walkers, event spaces, alternative transportation avenues, and green, open space. The 606 extends 2.7 miles along 1800N, between Ashland (1600W) and Ridgeway (3750W). There are twelve access points, one approximately every quarter-mile.

Wrigley Field Organist Celebrates 2,500 Games

September 2, 2017— On August 28th, Gary Pressy (age 59) graced the keys of the Lowrey organ at Wrigley Field, enhancing a great evening of baseball for the 38,453 fans who came to watch the Cubs defeat the Pirates 6-1. The game marked his 2,500th consecutive performance. Pressy has played the organ at every Cubs home game since he became the sole organist at Wrigley field in 1987. Gary celebrated the occasion by singing “Take Me Out to The Ballgame” (while playing the organ) during the seventh-inning stretch—for only the second time in his thirty-one seasons as organist. His first vocal performance was just over a year ago, at his 2,400th game. Follow Gary on Twitter at @GaryPressy.

First Night Game at Wrigley

The first-ever night game at Wrigley Field was scheduled for 8-8-88 (August 8, 1988, at 6:05 PM) against the Phillies. Prior to July 1988, when installation of the lights was completed, Wrigley Field had for years been the only Major League ballpark that lacked the lighting necessary for night games.1 The Wrigleyville neighbors had long resisted the installation of lights, believing that the noise from night baseball would diminish the quality of life in the neighborhood. Eventually, after years of debate, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance authorizing eighteen night games per year at Wrigley Field.

Things got off to a rocky start in the fist inning when Cubs pitcher, Rick Sutcliffe, gave up a home run to Phil Bradley, the first batter he faced. (In fairness, Sutcliffe’s vision may have been effected by the thousands of camera flashes that were fired as he delivered the first pitch.) Sutcliffe got out of the inning with no further damage, and Ryne Sandburg hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first, putting the Cubs up 2-1. This happened immediately after a thwarted attempt by “Morganna the Kissing Bandit” to accost Sandburg.

Long story short, at 8:14 PM, in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Cubs up 3-1, it started to rain. Hard. (Officially, 1.19 inches of rain fell between 8:14 PM and shortly after midnight.) At 10:25 PM, following some impromptu body surfing on the waterlogged, tarp-covered mound by Greg Maddux and others, the game was called—just six outs shy of an official game. The Cubs Organization’s well-crafted plan to hold the first night game on 8-8-88 was not to be realized.

The first official game under the lights happened the next evening—on August 9th—when the Cubs defeated the Mets 6-4.

Endnote

1 The first club to install lighting for night games was the Cincinnati Reds, who played their first game under the lights at Crosby Field on May 24, 1935.

Chicago’s Chocolate Factory

If you’ve every wondered about the source of that magnificent smell of chocolate that is so pervasive in the west end of the River North area, here’s your answer: Blommer Chocolate Company—the largest cocoa processor in North America—is located at 600 W. Kinzie Street. Blommer is a leading supplier worldwide of cocoa and other specialty ingredients for the confectionery, baking and dairy industries. The company plays an active role in promoting sustainable and traceable farming practices, working directly with thousands of cocoa farmers in Cote d’lvoire, Indonesia and Ecuador. Blommer Chocolate operates four factories, including the original Chicago plant. The others are located in East Greenville, Pennsylvania, Union City, California, and Campbellford, Ontario. Founded in 1939 by three brothers—Henry Sr., Al, and Bernard Blommer—four generations of Blommer family members have held top management positions at the company.