The Arlington Heights Farmers Market opens its 26th season Saturday and it continues to be a popular destination for families and residents of all ages. Consider the latest numbers: Last year, the market averaged more than 3,000 people every Saturday.
(L-R) Rory, John and Eamon O’Brien enjoy some Arlington Club Soda.
“We have been working hard in the off season to plan some fun activities making this the best market season yet,” says Maggie Sraga, operations manager of the Arlington Heights Historical Society and Farmers Market.
The Farmers Market returns to the grounds of the Arlington Heights Historical Museum and the nearby commuter parking lot, at Vail and Fremont streets, running from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through Oct. 11.
Since the Historical Society took over the market in 2014 — from local realtor Claudia Starck who started it — they have intentionally made it more of a destination, adding live music, family activities and hot food, along with its vendors selling fresh produce, flowers and more.
At Saturday’s opener, the market will feature young musicians from School of Rock playing from 10-11:30 a.m. in the picnic area, located on the museum complex. New this year will be weekly children’s activities in the “Little Sprouts Corner.” Saturday’s activity will be designing reusable farmers market tote bags, sponsored by the law firm of Drost, Kivlahan, McMahon & O’Connor.
Families also will be able to sample the museum’s historic Arlington Club Soda, which was bottled in a factory building, originally located on what now is the museum’s complex, starting in 1882.
Weaving in the museum’s historical mission with the Farmers Market makes sense. While the museum’s collection contains more than 50,000 artifacts, its mission goes beyond preservation. Historical Society members aim to enrich people’s lives by connecting them to the past through inspiring programs, community events, exhibits, and stories hosted at the downtown historical campus and at the Farmers Market.
All of which makes the Farmers Market more of a destination than an open-air market to buy fresh produce. It has a community feel, that’s casual, friendly and welcoming.
Here’s how Historical Society members frame it: “The Arlington Heights Farmers Market has become a vibrant centerpiece for the community, not just for its fresh produce and artisan goods, but for its community feeling, making it a Saturday morning destination for many Arlington Heights families.”
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