Beginning July 2, the Wednesday version of the Aurora Farmers Market will open for the season on the city’s West Side.
The main Aurora Farmers Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through Oct. 4 at Water Street Square at 65 S. Water St. in downtown Aurora. The smaller midweek market is set to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 20 at West Plaza at 1999 W. Galena Blvd.
The Wednesday market, which began more than half a decade ago, has been designed since its inception as an auxiliary option for those looking to restock items midweek or perhaps avoid the crowds that the larger Saturday market in downtown Aurora generally attracts.
Aurora Farmers Market manager and community events coordinator Felicia Freitag said the Wednesday market is also something that makes shopping a little more accessible “for those residents that live on the West Side by taking place in a different location.”
“We’re going to have somewhere between 15 and 20 vendors each week,” Freitag said of the Wednesday market. “This market will have a lot of people there all eight weeks because the summer is a shorter season and it’s more doable for them.”
Vendors like Blue Freedom Farm and Larsons Country Market, which are a regular part of the Saturday market in Aurora, will also be at the midweek option along with Theis Farm Market “who stopped doing Saturdays but are now doing Wednesdays with us.”
“Sara’s Coffee will also be there Wednesday. They, along with Blue Freedom and Larsons are consistently with us every Saturday,” Freitag said. “We don’t have any vendors that are brand new, but there are people who started with us last year.”
Some of those returnees include Lincoln Land Kettle Corn “who makes kettle corn on site so it’s super fresh” as well as Tamales + which Freitag said “would be there serving lunch every week.”
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“I think, in general, that people wanted to have options like hot food at this market so we’ll have the tamales and as well as a new business called Brunch with the Baker that is going to debut at the market doing some light brunch options,” she said. “We’re trying to have ready-to-eat food at the market.”
Other vendors on this summer’s roster for the Wednesday market include The Cookie Maker, Seasonal Sweets LLC, Cara’s Kreations LLC, La Tiendita Artesanal, Drink Agape and Caritas Vibrantes.
The Kane County Health Department as well as Fox Valley United Way and state Rep. Matt Hanson, D-Aurora, will also have booths at the market.
Freitag said a new incentive for shoppers is being offered this year at the Wednesday market.
“In hopes of getting more people down to this market, we are offering a punch card which is exclusive to the West Side market,” she said. “Basically, for purchases from three vendors or more, people will get a punch on their card and after five punches shoppers can get a free punch item.”
Giveaways for those that fill the punch card include a farmers market T-shirt, a trucker hat and farmers market tote bag. Cards will be available at the market information tent.
For more information, go to www.aurora.il.us/Recreation-and-Amenities/Aurora-Farmers-Market
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.