Green City Market is set to open both outdoor farmer’s markets ahead of schedule with the Lincoln Park location opening as soon as next Saturday.
Organizers announced earlier this month that they hoped to open early for their 25th year in Chicago “and provide a vibrant marketplace for our local, sustainable farmers and food businesses” earlier than expected provided they could secure the required permits.
Now, with everything accepted the markets are now preparing to open early with a grand total of 109 dates to look forward to.
The Lincoln Park location at 1817 N. Clark St. is set to reopen Saturday, April 6th, and run Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. through Saturday, November 23rd. It will then also open on Wednesdays starting Wednesday, May 1st, and run through Wednesday, October 30th.
The West Loop market at 115 S. Sangamon St., meanwhile, will reopen a little later on Saturday, May 4th, and will run from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Saturdays through November 23rd
The early opening dates hope “to unlock more economic opportunities for local farmers and increase access to nutritious produce for food-insecure neighbors” according to the Green City Market news release.
“With peak market season still months away, many farmers are grappling with the financial burden of preparing for the upcoming season at a time of year when their cash flow is at its lowest,” said GCM Executive Director Mandy Moody.
“While we’re more than ready to open early, added markets create added expenses, and we rely on donations from our community in order to continue scaling market frequency and support our farmers after the challenging winter months.”
Read the full news release.[Featured image from Green City Market]