Naperville’s midweek farmers market makes summer shopping a fun, family event.
After four years, the Farmers Market at St. John’s Episcopal Church has become more than just a place to shop for farm fresh produce. It’s a weekly summer event the whole family can enjoy.
Situated across the street from Naperville Central High School at the corner of Aurora Avenue and West Street, shoppers at the St. John’s market will not only find produce that was picked at the peak of ripeness from the fields that morning, or breads and pastries that were baked earlier that day. Market-goers will also enjoy freshly squeezed juices and baked empanadas as they shop, or talk with former Super Bowl player Sean Considine of the Baltimore Ravens as they buy their meat, or their children can sit and listen to stories, make crafts and play games with the Naperville Public Library.
The newest feature to the market this year is a free story time program offered by the Naperville Public Library. From June 8 through September 21, children and families will have opportunities to listen to a story and make a craft or play a game when they come to shop. The activities will run every 30 minutes during market hours. The crafts and games will relate to the story they read and all the activities tie into the summer program theme of plants, insects and pollinators.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Naperville Public Library this year,” said Jan Hummel, Market Master for the Farmers Market at St. John’s. “We see many families come through with children, so we believe this is a great addition to our market.”
In addition to the weekly events provided by the Naperville Public Library, the Farmers Market at St. John’s will be hosting three special events.
The summer event schedule includes an opening-day celebration on June 8 with free, reusable totes to the first 300 customers, an Independence Day event on June 29 with a drawing for a U.S. flag that was flown over the Capitol Building in Washington D.C., and a National Farmers Market Week celebration on August 3 that features cooking demonstrations and tastings of freshly grilled fruits and vegetables.
The Farmers Market at St. John’s will also bring back two popular vendors that were new last year: Headon and Considine’s Market and DeEtta’s Bakery.
Sean Considine, who played for the Baltimore Ravens when they won the Super Bowl in 2012, now runs a 30-foot mobile meat truck. In partnership with Headon Meats in Creston, Illinois, weekly offerings include fresh Angus beef such as steaks, roasts and burgers, as well as ribs, chicken, pork and a variety of brats.
DeEtta’s Bakery of Naperville makes everything by hand using artisan flours, real butter and no preservatives or food additives. They offer a wide selection of products at the Farmers Market at St. John’s, including cookies, breads, scones, muffins, brownies, and marshmellows.
The Farmers Market at St. John’s, located at 750 Aurora Ave., runs every Wednesday from 3 to 7PM, beginning June 8 through September 21. The market features a variety of vendors offering seasonally fresh vegetables and fruits, as well as honey, farm fresh eggs, meats, cheese, organic specialty foods, breads, pastries and cookies, coffee, jams, sauces, freshly squeezed juices, baked empanadas, natural skin care products, French linens and many other fine offerings.
“It’s exciting to see our market grow and bring in something new each year,” said Hummel. “We enjoy supporting local businesses, offering a service to the community at-large and making a positive impact on St. John’s outreach initiatives.”
Vendors pay a space rental fee for use of St. John’s parking lot to sell their products directly to the public over the 16-week period. The net proceeds from those fees will help fund St. John’s outreach initiatives including an annual youth mission trip and support a range of organizations from local to international, such as Loaves & Fishes, Hesed House, Lifespring and Feed My Starving Children.
For inquiries about the Farmers Market at St. John’s, email farmersmarketatstjohns@gmail.com or visit stjohns-episcopal.com.
