Aurora Farmers Market Closes After Successful 115th Season

The Aurora Farmers Market concluded its 115th season on Saturday, drawing local shoppers to its downtown location at 65 S. Water St. Brittany Robbins, a resident of Aurora, was among those picking up last-minute produce and saying farewells to vendors she had frequented throughout the summer. ‘I’m always sad when the farmers market season ends,’ Robbins shared.

The market has been a staple for Robbins’ family, providing a weekend outing for her children and opportunities to purchase their favorite items like hummus and coffee. Additionally, live music added to their visits’ enjoyment. This year’s market welcomed thousands of visitors to shop from over 80 vendors, offering a variety of food products and services throughout late spring and summer.

Felicia Freitag, the farmers market manager, deemed the season a success. ‘We had a good season. It went very well and we’ve noticed an uptick in traffic,’ she remarked. The late season showed numbers exceeding previous years. Freitag also mentioned planning for expansions next year, including using the entire parking lot and potentially bringing back a large-scale farmer to meet customer demand for more produce.

The final day featured festivities like a fall celebration, mini-pumpkin decoration for children, a small petting zoo, and vendor trick-or-treating. Steve Robbins, Brittany’s husband, highlighted the outdoor aspect as a favorite part of their market visits, appreciating the variety of vendors and outdoor environment.

Jeannie Norris, another Aurora resident, expressed her disappointment at the market’s closure for the year. She enjoyed the social aspect, seeing familiar faces and meeting new people while sampling cheese at one vendor stand. ‘I wish it would go until the end of October at least,’ Norris commented.

Nancy Sawyer, living in Aurora Township, frequented the market since its earlier days at the Metra train station. She values access to fresh produce and, anticipating the market’s off-season, plans to visit local farmstands to avoid grocery stores. On Saturday, Sawyer picked up jalapeno peppers with plans to make poppers and salsa.

Doug Harrington, a long-time market attendee for two decades, emphasized the importance of quality vendors in sustaining Aurora’s market for over a century. He usually buys honey, fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread. ‘I think this has lasted for more than a century because of the vendors. They have good products,’ Harrington stated, elaborating on his plans to stock up for the weeks ahead.