UPTOWN — The Uptown Farmers Market will launch its third season next week in a new location.
The farmers market will debut 2:30 p.m. May 3 at Sunnyside Mall, the pedestrian mall on Sunnyside Avenue between Magnolia Avenue and Beacon Street. It will run 2:30-7 p.m. Wednesdays through Nov. 1, according to Chicago Market, the co-op that produces the farmers market.
Launched in 2021, the Uptown Farmers Market was previously held at the historical Gerber building’s parking lot at Wilson avenue and Broadway. The Gerber building is the site of Chicago Market’s long-planned co-op grocery store.
The farmers market helped activate the Gerber building and advertise the co-op while fundraising and planning for the store was underway. But after receiving $5 million from the city, construction on the store is slated to begin soon, meaning the farmers market needed a new home.
“We loved getting the market launched in our parking lot these past two seasons, but it’s not a long-term solution because we’ll be using our lot for Chicago Market grocery shoppers,” co-op leaders said in an email announcing the move. “And starting this season, the lot will be packed with construction workers and equipment as they build out our store.”
The move to Sunnyside Mall will be permanent, organizers said.
Moving to the mall allows the farmers market to be in a pedestrian-friendly area that is accessible to neighbors and people using public transportation, according to Chicago Market.
There are at least 25 vendors signed up to sell a mix of produce, baked goods, coffee, cooked foods and home goods at the Uptown Farmers Market.
Vendors include Weekday Food Co., Los Rodriguez Farm and Stamper Cheese Company. Popular returning vendors include Nuts To Go, Tamale Express and knife sharpening service Sharpening By Dave.
The Uptown Farmers Market is dog-friendly. It accepts SNAP payments and offers a program that doubles SNAP benefits when buying locally produced foods and goods.
The market will also hold a weekly raffle, with the winner getting $25 to spend at a future market date. To earn an entry in the market, customers can stop at the Chicago Market booth and sign up for updates from the group.
Sunnyside Mall was built in the 1970s as part of an urban renewal effort and has been improved over the years with landscaping and art. That includes a mosaic mural unveiled in 1996 and refurbished in 2021.
The Sunnyside Mall Committee helps oversee the space and is collaborating with Chicago Market to host the farmers market.
For more information on Uptown Farmers Market, click here.
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