Every Saturday until Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., the City of Urbana will host Market at the Square, a farmer’s market held at the corner of Illinois and Vine streets in Urbana outside Lincoln Square Mall.
Natalie Kenny Marquez, director of Urbana’s Market at the Square and marketing coordinator for the City of Urbana, said, “Just like any farmers market, we’re here to provide fresh and local produce to the community.”
In 2012, the market showcased over 150 vendors. This season, the market has over 180 registered vendors and community groups so far, according to Marquez.
She stressed the uniqueness as a producer-only market where the vendors create or grow the products they are selling.
“It’s great when you walk up to buy something and the person you’re buying from is the person who planted the seed or created that item,” Marquez said. “And we’re also a local market so that means that everything comes within the state of Illinois to this market.”
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
She elaborated saying the Market at the Square also provides free monthly programs such as Art at the Market, Sprouts at the Market and Performers at the Market, all of which work to make the market a family-friendly event.
Sprouts at the Market is run the first Saturday of the month and offers free nutrition and mealtime programming for kids ages 3 to 8. Art at the Market provides art workshops and free performances. Performers at the Market welcomes musicians from an array of genres and other performers in fields such as dancing and juggling each Saturday.
This season marks the 34th year for the market. Marquez said the people, especially vendors who have been with the program for many years, are the anchors of the festival.
One performer, Emma DeJarnette, a 15-year-old violin and fiddler player from Georgia, spoke on her long history with the market and how she became involved in the market.
She said her grandfather visits the market every Saturday and whenever she visits him, he likes her to play.
“I play here about once a year for my grandpa,” Dejarnette said. “I’ve been playing (here) since I was about 7 or 8.”
The Market at the Square webpage advises coming earlier in the the morning for better selection and says the market will be open rain or shine.
For more information on the market and specific events throughout the summer, visit urbanaillinois.us/market.
Audrey can be reached at [email protected].
