On Wednesday, Aug. 5, the Elmhurst Farmers Market joined communities across the country in celebrating National Farmers Market Week—an annual recognition of the farmers, food producers, small businesses, volunteers and shoppers who sustain America’s local food system.
But National Farmers Market Week is about more than buying groceries. It allows independent farmers and food producers to meet their customers face-to-face. According to a study conducted by the American Farm Bureau, 72 percent of consumers know “nothing” or “very little” about farming and agricultural production. Farmers markets serve as invaluable educational sites and a rare bridge between urban and rural communities.
“Elmhurst Farmers Market has become one of the community's signature weekly experiences. It draws visitors from across the western suburbs while giving residents and visitors another reason to spend the morning exploring Elmhurst and enjoying an atmosphere that reflects the welcoming character of Elmhurst,” said Michael Queroz, communications manager for the City of Elmhurst.
What is a farmers market?
A farmers market is a recurring marketplace where independent farmers, bakers and food producers sell directly to the public. Unlike a grocery store, at Elmhurst Farmers Market, each vendor is responsible for growing, baking, transporting, displaying, and selling their own products.
That means the person standing behind the table may also be the one who planted the seeds, tended the fields, harvested the produce, washed and packed it, loaded the truck before sunrise and drove it to market. Or they may be the beekeeper who harvested raw local honey, the herbalist who blended loose-leaf teas, and the entrepreneur who made raw pressed juices.
For bakers and prepared food vendors, market day may begin hours earlier—or the previous evening—with mixing, proofing, baking, cooking, cooling, packaging and loading. Livestock producers must manage animals, land, feed, processing schedules and food-safety requirements long before a package of meat reaches a customer.
"I've been coming to the Elmhurst Farmers Market for years, and I always try to bring home something my family hasn't had before. One of my favorite discoveries was ground cherries—we'd never even heard of them until I found them at the market. I appreciate knowing the fruits and vegetables were freshly harvested, and if I have a question, the person who grew it is right there to answer it," said Krista Nunemaker, an Elmhurst resident.
Connected to the Chicago region’s farms
Chicago may be one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, but it is surrounded by productive agricultural regions.
Elmhurst Farmers Market’s current vendor community includes farms and producers from the Chicagoland suburbs, northern Illinois, southwest Michigan and Wisconsin. Vendors travel between 10 to 120 miles to Elmhurst—close enough for farmers to harvest produce the day before (or even the morning of) the market but far enough that every weekly trip requires significant preparation, fuel, labor and time.
Where community grows
Research finds that farmers markets help build social relationships, strengthen local identity and create what the Farmers Market Coalition describes as modern public gathering places that reduce isolation and encourage connection.
“One of my favorite things about volunteering is watching the market come to life each Wednesday,” said Tracy Williams, a volunteer at Elmhurst Farmers Market. “It's where the community connects to enjoy breakfast or lunch, listen to live music, and spend time outdoors together. I see families with young children, Elmhurst Hospital employees on their lunch break, friends meeting for coffee and Mahjong, residents from nearby senior homes, and adults participating in local day programs visiting the market. And every week, I meet someone new.”
About Elmhurst Farmers Market
For more than 25 years, Elmhurst Farmers Market has connected the community with regional farmers, growers, bakers, food producers and independent food businesses. It is now one of the largest weekday farmers markets in the Chicagoland area, with over 40 vendors offering locally grown produce, meats, cheeses, baked goods, specialty foods and breakfast and lunch options.
Elmhurst Farmers Market is a traditional farmers market; it is corporate-operated. Vendors must sell products they produce. There are no resale or flea market goods, no home improvement businesses or MLMs.
Elmhurst Farmers Market welcomed more than 30,000 shopper visits throughout the 2025 season. More than 2,500 people attended the opening market of the 2026 season.
It is open every Wednesday from 7 a.m.-1 p.m. through October, rain or shine.
