The City of Urbana’s Market at the Square is pleased to announce that its 2018 season will get underway Saturday, May 5th. Ranked as the top farmers market to visit in Illinois, the Market is located at the corner of Illinois and Vine Streets and runs rain or shine from 7 a.m. to noon every Saturday through October 27th.
Urbana’s Market at the Square has been a mainstay of our community’s Saturday morning activities since 1979, and is home to over 150 vendors selling Illinois-grown produce, plants and flowers, farm products such as meat, cheeses, eggs, honey, Illinois wine, and fresh baked goods. There is also a wide variety of handmade local art & crafts for sale and numerous foods trucks producing a variety of menu items sure to satisfy any palate.
The Market boasts a variety of free weekly programming suitable for all ages and interests. On the first Saturday of each month, the Market will showcase a demonstration of a dish incorporating ingredients sourced locally by Market vendors. The demonstrations will offer patrons interesting and new ways to prepare seasonal products and give them the opportunity to sample new dishes. Additionally, the Market’s free children’s programming (Sprouts at the Market) and free art workshops and performances coordinated by the Urbana Arts Program (Art at the Market) will be offered each month during the season. Regular visits by the Urbana Business Association, Urbana Free Library, and Community Blood Services of Illinois also are planned. For further programming information, please visit www.urbanamarket.org.
“This is going to be a great season for Urbana’s Market at the Square,” commented Market Director, Natalie Kenny Marquez. “We’ve had a very busy off-season preparing for 2017. With the addition of a brand new website and an updated market arrangement, we’re ready for a great season!”
The Market is often bursting at the seam with vendors on Saturday mornings but Market staff has made it easier to navigate thanks to an updated website. The new online portal to the market features an interactive Market map and a product search function. Both of these features display what vendors will be in attendance on Market day, their product offerings and contact information.
Additionally, the Market will continue to offer weekly email updates titled Market Mail. These email updates will inform subscribers about what to expect at the Market each week, programming details, and more. All of these features may be accessed from the Market’s website at www.urbanamarket.org.
At Urbana’s Market at the Square all vendors accept cash, many accept credit and debit cards and customers wishing to use their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits may do so by bringing their LINK card to the information tent in the northwest corner of the Market. In addition to SNAP, over a dozen Urbana’s Market at the Square produce vendors also accept Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers. For more details on these two programs please visit the Market’s website at www.urbanamarket.org or speak with Market staff on Saturday mornings.
To learn more about Urbana’s Market at the Square please visit www.urbanamarket.org, call 217/384-2319, email urbanamarket@urbanaillinois.us or follow the Market on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
