Aurora Farmers Market To Reopen Saturday For 108th Season

AURORA, IL — Though things will "be a little different" at this summer’s Aurora Farmers Market, it’s still set to provide a huge boost to vendors, downtown businesses and the community as a whole when it reopens Saturday, according to Mike Nelson, a special events coordinator with the city. The market will run from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, starting June 27, in Water Street Square.

During its 108th season, the market will have only one entrance and exit, and organizers will limit capacity at about 175 people if necessary to allow everyone to stay safe while shopping, Nelson said.

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Everyone inside the market is required to wear a face covering, and customers will be asked not to touch any produce or products "to make this as contact-free as possible," Nelson said. Sanitizing stations will be located throughout the market. There will be no place for customers to eat to encourage an "in-and-out" approach to the market, he added.

After being forced to cut about a quarter of the market’s vendors this year due to social distancing guidelines, organizers at the city’s Special Events Division opted to focus the market around farmers and food vendors for the foreseeable future, Nelson said. Artisans and other vendors will be added to the market as soon as it is possible, he said.

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Despite the restrictions, the market will give people "a little bit of a change of scenery," Nelson said, after months of remaining at home with almost all events canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It was really important to us to open this market back up and make it a safe market for patrons," Nelson said.

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Staff at the city’s Special Events Division "fought to bring back" the market this summer, with many local farmers and artisans relying on it to sell their products, Nelson said, adding many vendors have been selling at the market for decades.

"The best thing about this is we’re still able to support the local vendors in the City of Aurora and the surrounding areas," Nelson said. "For us to give these vendors the opportunity to still earn a living is just incredible."

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The Aurora Farmers Market will also provide a much-needed boost to downtown businesses by bringing people back to the area after the lockdown. The market moved downtown last year and brought "a huge increase in foot traffic," Nelson said, something that downtown businesses will welcome with many just recently reopening.