The Park Ridge Farmers Market is open on Prairie Avenue on Aug. 15, 22 and 29, giving residents three more Saturday mornings to shop for local produce, prepared food and handmade goods in the heart of Uptown.
Each market runs 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Rain doesn't stop it.
The market sets up at 15 Prairie Ave. between Maine Street and Garden Street, adjacent to Cumberland Park.
Now in its 36th year, the market opened its 2026 season on Memorial Day weekend and continues every Saturday through the last weekend of October. The City Council voted unanimously in October 2025 to keep the market at its longtime Prairie Avenue location after the AT&T parking lot at 36 S. Prairie Ave., once part of the market footprint, became unavailable when new owners announced future plans for the lot.
This year's layout shifted westward toward Garden Street, putting shoppers closer to Cumberland Park's picnic tables and live music.
Market co-masters Karen Grunschel and Stephanie Goodrich manage the weekly operation. "It's never the same market. We're always changing," Goodrich told the Chicago Tribune at the May 23 season opener, noting that three to six vendors rotate each year while the core lineup stays largely the same.
Among the regulars: Tidey Farms, which has sold at the market for 35 years, and Nick Cataudella's Nicky C's Red Hots cart, now in its sixth season. Vendors must operate a home, farm or production facility in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan or Iowa.
For vendor schedules and volunteer info, contact Stroll Park Ridge at (630) 272-7582 or [email protected].
Upcoming community dates:
- Aug. 15, 22 and 29 — Park Ridge Farmers Market, 7 a.m.–1 p.m., 15 Prairie Ave.
- The market season continues every Saturday through Oct. 31.
