Oak Park Farmers' Market

The Oak Park Farmers' Market's fifth annual Pie Bake-Off was held Sept. 9, 2023. The contest winners are listed below:

• 1st Place:  Jim Schwartz & Mika Schwartz - The Goat Ate My Apple Pie
• 2nd Place:  Jessy Sanders – Autumn Classic Pie 
• 3rd Place:  Stacy Boykin – Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

Click here for the recipes for the top three pies that were entered in this year's contest.

The Farmers’ Market Commission appreciates all contest entrants, as well as the Farmers’ Market volunteers and Village staff who helped to make the contest successful!

Mika & Jim Schwartz won first place in the 2023 Oak Park Farmers' Market Pie Bake-Off with their The Goat Ate My Apple pie.

Sept. 9

• Special event: 2023 Pie Bake-Off

The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program provides low-income seniors with vouchers that can be exchanged for eligible foods at farmers’ markets, roadside stands and community supported agriculture programs. These Market voucher/coupons are welcome at the Oak Park Farmers’ Market, which is held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through the end of October at 460 Lake St.

Oak Park Township will be accepting applications for seniors age 60 and older to receive $50 in vouchers. American Indian applicants must be age 55 and older. Vouchers are available on a first come, first served basis, while supplies last. Please bring ID and proof of income to Senior Services, Oak Park Township. 130 S. Oak Park Avenue from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.

New for 2023: Each eligible senior in a shared household may apply. The program has been expanded to include all seniors who may share a household.

Qualified Recipients:

• Are 60 years or older 
• Are Oak Park or Suburban Cook County
• Are income eligible. Please contact Oak Park and River Forest Townships Senior Services for deatils at 708.725.9129.
• Only 1 coupon booklet allowed per person ($50 value)

The Village of Oak Park is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Oak Park Farmers' Market. 

Click here for the vendor application form for the 2023 Market season.

Have a question about the application or the 2023 season? Email us at farmersmarket@oak-park.us.

Local non-profit organizations seeking fundraising opportunities can reserve a space for a bake sale at the Market.

Click here for the 2023 Bake Sale Guidelines

Click here for the 2023 Bake Sale Application Form

• No Bicycles - for safety reasons, bicycles must be left outside the Market. Walking with bikes though the Market is also prohibited.
• No Smoking – be considerate of your fellow shoppers. Please don't smoke within the market area.
• No Pets - state health codes prohibit pets of any kind on Market premises while the market is in operation, except support animals trained to assist their physically challenged owners. 
• No Soliciting - soliciting or circulating petitions are not allowed on market premises while the market is in operation.

Free parking is available in the Oak Park River Forest High School parking garage on Scoville Avenue, just north of Lake Street. The parking garage does have dedicated parking for persons with disabilities. General customer parking on the north side of Lake Street, from Scoville to Elmwood, will be prohibited. Limited parking for persons with disabilities can be found on Lake Street just south of the Market.

Nearby streets also offer parking during market hours. But parking regulations are enforced in the area and athletic events at the high school often create competition for prime parking spaces, both on the street and in the garage.

Oak Park Township is offering rides for seniors to and from the Oak Park Farmers' Market throughout the season. Pickups are made from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Saturday for seniors who live in Oak Park and River Forest.

The van will be parked on Lake Street next to the Market entrance at 460 Lake St.

To schedule a ride, call 708.383.4806 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

There is a suggested donation is $1 per ride.

Click here for more information about the Township's Senior Services.

Every Saturday of the market season a crew of donut makers arrives at Pilgrim Church in the early hours of the morning to make fresh coffee, juice and donuts for market patrons. The donuts are old-fashioned cake donuts, served warm and covered with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or plain. Buy them singly or by the dozen. Various local non-profit organizations take part in the donut efforts, earning money for the church and their organizations.

Market patrons can sit at a table and enjoy donuts while listening to live bluegrass music provided by local musicians.

Come early. Donuts often sell out before noon.

All payment methods, including cash, are accepted at the Market. Acceptable payment methods may vary by vendor.

While most vendors accept credit or debit cards (either at the both or thorugh the information tent), be sure to bring cash for donuts, bake sales and the corn roast.

The Farmers' Market will match LINK card sales up to $25 with double value coupons each week. Stop by the information tent for more information.

Matching coupons worth up to $25 are available to SNAP shoppers at the live Market.

Click the image below for more information about the matching coupon program:

• May 20 & May 27 – Go Green Days
  Kick off the Market with a focus on sustainability and environmental stewardship.
   
• August 12– Corn Roast
  Taste the sweetest, freshest roasted corn right at the market. Bring cash to buy an ear or two!
   
• September 9 – Pie Bake-off
  Create your best pie featuring market ingredients. Sign up to compete as a baker, apply to be a judge by sharing your passion and qualifications in two paragraphs or less at farmersmarket@oak-park.us, or just come to watch the judging!
   
• September 30 – Heritage Apple Festival
  Stay tuned for more information on this event. 
   
• October 28 – Stone Soup
  Warm up with free soup made from our farmers’ donations and shop the final market of the season.
   

Click the image below for a chart showing when different fruits and vegetables are in season in Illinois (click on image to view larger):

The Oak Park Farmers’ Market relies on volunteers who help staff the on-site information booth and help with special events. Referred to as Friends of the Market, these volunteers typically serve two-hour shifts. Volunteer tasks include answering shoppers’ questions about the market and vendors, helping sell Market merchandise and directing visitors around the site. For more information on becoming a Friend of the Market email farmersmarket@oak-park.us.  

A few things to keep in mind as you volunteer:

• The Market is open every Saturday during the season, rain or shine.
• No long-term commitment is required.
• Training is on the job. A Market Commissioner or Market Manager is present at each shift to answer questions and assist volunteers.
• Free market parking is available in the Oak Park and River Forest High School parking garage on Scoville Avenue, just north of Lake Street.

The Oak Park Farmers’ Market is a community resource with the following goals:

1. Build relationships between regional farmers and Oak Park area residents through direct interaction.
2. Improve the variety, freshness, taste and nutritional value of farm products available in the Oak Park area.
3. Enhance the quality of life in the greater Oak Park area by fostering community gatherings.
4. Provide an educational forum on the uses and benefits of sustainable practices and regionally grown or prepared foods.
5. Provide a dynamic, locally grown, producer-only marketplace.
6. Make healthy regionally produced foods accessible to lower-income residents. 

Independent farmers and producers from around the Midwest bring their goods to the market each week. 

Click here for a vendor map.

Barry’s Berries - Covert, MI
Fruits and veggies
Accepts LINK

Breadman Baking Co. - Naperville, IL
Artisanal bread and baked goods
Accepts LINK

Brian Severson Farms - Dwight, IL
Certified organic (non-GMO) heirloom grains (flours, meals, grits, rolled oats, corn)
Accepts LINK
Severson organic products will be available at the Breadman Baking Co. booth this season

Brunkow Cheese - Mineral Point, WI
Award-winning cheese and butter - artisanal cheesemaker since 1899
Acccepts LINK

Chanticlare Farm - Winfield, IL
Sustainably-grown vegetables and flowers (no synthetic chemicals used)

Ellis Family Farm - Benton Harbor, MI
Fruits, veggies, preserves, eggs and honey
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Finn's Ranch - Buchanan, MI
Meat and variety of eggs raised on certified organic pasture - animal welfare approved, certified grassfed by AGW
Accepts LINK

Geneva Lakes Produce - Burlington, WI
Fruits, veggies, flowers, plants
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Hardin Farms - Eau Claire, MI
Fruits and veggies
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Jake's Country Meats - Casspolis, MI
Heritage breeds, certified grass-fed, antibiotic-free, meat and eggs, animal-welfare approved
Accepts LINK

J2K Capraio Farmstead Dairy & Artisan Creamery - Walkerton, IN
Award-winning artisinal goat and cow cheeses
Accepts LINK

Johanson’s Apple World - Baroda, MI
Fruits, veggies and cider
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Katich Breads - Aurora, IL
Artisanal bread and baked goods using organic flour
Accepts LINK

Khang's Farm Fresh - Jackson, WI
Veggies and flowers
Accepts WIC, LINK and Senior Coupons

Lyman Ave. Bread - Oak Park, IL
Sourdough and seeded breads
Accepts LINK

Nichols Farm & Orchard - Marengo, IL
Fruits, veggies and dry beans
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

River Valley Ranch - Burlington, WI
Mushrooms, salsa, pickles, spreads, veggie burgers
Certified Organic
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Sharpening by Dave - Lindenhurst, IL
Knife, scissors, gardening tools sharpener

Skibbe Farms - Eau Claire, MI
Fruits, veggies, cider and plants
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

R. Smits & Sons aka "The Farm" - Kendall County, IL
Fruits and veggies
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Smits Organics - Kendall County, IL
Certified organic flowers, veggies and potted plants 

Stovers Farm Market - Berrien Springs, MI
Fruits, veggies, honey, dried fruit
Accepts WIC, LINK and senior coupons

Three Bees - Bartlett, IL
Honey and honey products
Accepts WIC and LINK