North Center Farmer’s Market

There were only about 4 – 5 stands when I went last weekend and was disappointed by how small it was considering the neighborhood it serves. I guess I’m spoiled since I’ve only gone to Green City and Logan Square’s markets in the past.

Oops wrong establishment

Small, perhaps, but marvelous! Plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs (berries, peaches, tomatoes, basil, peppers, etc.), bread, artisanal cheese, free range eggs, and the best fresh, natural frozen yogurt/​ice cream I’ve ever had. Earlier is better — before noon.

Yes, it’s small, but it’s my neighborhood market and I love it. It has everything I need and I load up every week on fruits, veggies, fresh eggs and flowers. I had the best cantaloupe of my life from that market and my daughter can’t stop eating the peaches! I’m just so glad to have this market close by.

I’m really sad to make this post. Look, I love farmer’s markets and supporting the smaller guy, but this farmer’s market left me wanting in a bad way. Maybe I’ve spoiled myself on the logan square and lincoln square farmer’s markets, but this one just leaves a lot to be desired.
The problem isn’t the quality, it’s the quantity. While I’m generally a quality over quantity guy, when there’s not much of a selection, this is a real problem. Don’t get me wrong, the quality was good, but the whole farmer’s market feels like an afterthought.
I got here around noon, so everything wasn’t necessarily booming. But, from my experience at the Lincoln Square Farmer’s market on tuesdays, is that there are still a good amount of vendors. I only point this out as I would figure there’s overlap on the two farmer’s markets. Sadly, there was precious little to choose from here and it more felt like a small roadside stand in upper Wisconsin.
I wish there was more of a selection here, but I can understand how most of the effort in this area is put towards the Lincoln Square Farmer’s market. The quality was good here, but as far as farmer’s markets go, this isn’t one to really pay attention to.

This isn’t a review of the market, just an FYI. It’s listed on various websites as being open til 3, but when I got there today at 1:15, there was one vendor left, and she was just about to pull out of the parking lot. She said to arrive by noon next time. (I’m only giving it five stars since Unilocal won’t let me post without a rating, and why drag down their rating for no good reason?)

Saturdays from 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. (nice hours, I might add).
Fantastic little market. It gets better as the summer goes on (a bit sparse in June). A few too many strollers for my taste, but it’s worth dodging them to get to the produce… and cheese… and bread. Wonderful selection of fruits and vegetables. Worth a stop if you haven’t been (go early for best selection, obviously).

There is a review here from 2006 & 2007 and I am here to write about 2008.
Yes it is a SMALL market, but its right here in my back yard and I like that. There are even fewer vendors this year, if you can imagine that! One nice addition though is the cheese stand. I got this amazing cheese rolled in crushed pistachios. I can eat the thing straight up out of the plastic.
They still have the baked goods (at a higher price this year), fresh flowers, a smallish selection of fruits and veggies (I think the biggest vendor has pulled out this year), as well as the cheese and some jams.
I will still stop every Saturday morning before work to see what they have. And I never leave without buying SOMETHING.

One of the most over looked, but, action packed, restaurant and culture filled neighborhoods, North Center, is even home to, and proud to present our own Farmer’s Market.
While it’s not as large as others (based on the fact that our ‘town square’ isn’t that large, there is always a wide selection of items, from cheese, to breads, to fruits to veggies, and always something special.
It’s nice to walk out the front door to the North Center Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and see the buzzing of neighbors, kids in wagons, and families stocking up on local grown goods for the week.

ish,
why do they bother even doing this on saturdays when all the kick ass markets are going on?

I like going to this farmer’s market on Saturdays b/​c it’s convenient location (a short walk down Damen). There aren’t too many venders, but I have gotten some yummy berries and squash here.