Fun and freebies on Northbrook Park District Day at Farmers Market

Highlighting a longstanding connection between two community institutions in Northbrook, the Northbrook Farmers Market has designated June 25 as “Northbrook Park District Day.”

The Northbrook Farmers Market runs from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays, June 18 to October 8, at Meadow Plaza in Northbrook.

The park district traditionally staffs a booth on the second day of the Farmers Market. This year, an entire day will be designated in its honor, Farmers Market Manager Dale Duda said.

“I love the park district, so this year I thought, ‘Why don’t we make a bigger deal out of it?’” Duda said. “It will be a day of games, swag, music and fun.”

Northbrook Park District Day will feature arts, crafts and games for children, and a variety of freebies at the park district’s booth, including a free prize drawing, summer event information and the latest park district free canvas tote bags for the first 300 people.

“The Northbrook Farmers Market is one of our favorite summer outreach events. Being able to share our mission of recreational services and environmental sustainability with market visitors is always a rewarding experience,” said Northbrook Park District Director of Marketing and Communications Joan Scovic. “We are very excited for the inaugural Park District Day and we look forward to seeing the community there!”

Duda, who started the Northbrook Farmers Market 17 years ago, said she, too, enjoys interacting with the community at the market. To maximize customer experience, she’s always worked hard to offer a great mix of vendors, she said.

“The criteria for vendors is, No. 1, you have to be a good person. You have to buy into our mission and you have to be community minded,” Duda said. “No. 2, you have to make, bake or grow what you sell.”

This year’s lineup includes Azteca Catering Co., The Cheese People, EvaDean's Bakery & Café, Honey Lake Bee Company, Katich Breads, Legacy Fudge, Luciana's Kitchen, Nuqi Soaps, Nuts To Go Chicago, Piscasaw Gardens, Sharpening By Dave, Skibbe Farms, Sunny Harvest Farms, Tastebudz, Twisted Olive Imports and Wanda Farms.

New vendors this year include Pasta by Val (organic handmade fresh pasta), Tsedah Farms (non-GMO and pesticide-free produce) and Tikvah Farms (microgreens).

The farmers market is operated by the Northbrook Farmers Market Association, an all-volunteer, tax-exempt nonprofit organization of which Duda is the president.

“It’s the same as running a small business,” Duda said of her role. “I deal with contracts, insurance, marketing, permits… I put in full time hours to do it. I take off November and December. Then the work starts in January, right after New Year’s Day, and it’s full speed ahead until the end of October.”

In mid-May, WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times named the Northbrook Farmers Market among 15 farmers markets in the Chicago metro area — only six of them in the suburbs — as “worth a visit.”

“There are a little over 300 hundred farmers markets in Illinois, and a lot of them are concentrated in metro Chicago,” Dale said. “I am over the moon that we made the list.”

The full list of special days at the Northbrook Farmers Market is:

June 18: Opening Day, Northbrook Chamber of Commerce & Industry

June 25: Northbrook Park District Day

July 2: State Sen. Julie Morrison Constituent Outreach

July 9: North Shore Senior Center

July 16: Hunger Resource Network

July 23: Northbrook Civic Foundation

July 30: Northbrook Community Commission

Aug. 6: Northbrook Garden Club

Aug. 13: Dog Days of Summer, featuring Border Tails Rescue

Aug. 20: Northbrook Public Library

Aug. 27: Lubavitch Chabad of Northbrook

Sept: 3: Go Green Northbrook

Sept. 10: Northbrook Historical Society

Sept. 17: Summer Stock Day, sponsored by Edward Jones – Northbrook, Omar Zak

Sept. 24: Citizens Climate Lobby

Oct. 1: Northbrook Woman's Club

Oct. 8: Closing Day, Bond Orthodontics and L'il Pumpkins

Established in 1927, the mission of the Northbrook Park District is to enhance the community by providing outstanding services, parks and facilities through environmental, social and financial stewardship.