It may not have felt like produce season yet when the 29th season for La Grange’s outdoor farmers market opened last week, but a healthy stream of shoppers browsed the area anyway, patronizing longtime vendors and new arrivals alike.
The market will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Thursday in its usual location at the corner of La Grange Road and Harris Avenue.
“The best thing to notice here is the variety,” said Dan Mulka, executive director of the La Grange Business Association. “We have everything from the farmer’s market that you would expect — all the crafts, all the lettuce and all the fruits. But we also have everything from flowers, lemonade, Alaskan salmon … we have a variety of things from almost every palette. So if you have a picky eater in your family, or a diverse set of culinary tastes, there’s a little bit of something for everybody.”
Mulka said the 46 vendors on hand for the initial market May 22 were seven more than last year, and that applications for spots were up by 10%. A full list of participating vendors can be found at lgba.com.
Among the new vendors were Chicago Green Chile Company, Hook Point Fisheries, Heatley’s Hot Pepper Farm and My Sourdough Bakery.
“We’re trying to bring in a variety,” Mulka said. “We’re trying to evolve and bring options.”
Vince Fagan, a retired Chicago police officer, sells a variety of sauces at his Chicago Green Chile Company booth at the La Grange Farmers Market on May 22, the market's opening day. (Hank Beckman/Pioneer Press)
Chicago Green Chile Company is operated by retired Chicago Police officer Vince Fagan.
“I was born and raised in Beverly in the city, and I used to come through here all the time with friends and family,” Fagan said.
Chicago Green Chile’s most popular offerings are a green topping sauce — either mild or with more heat — followed closely by pickled asparagus spears with green chile. He’s new to the La Grange market, but he’s sold his wares at markets in Geneva, Wheaton, Frankfort and Morris.
“Last fall was when we started off doing these products, but I developed my recipes several years before that,” Fagan said. “This is the first big retail season and we’re expanding like crazy.”
Fagan said his products are designed to be flexible to customers’ tolerance for heat.
“This is my recipe,” he said. “The company motto is ‘flavor not fire.’”
Another food vendor, The Cheese People, are a staple at many area farmers markets, but the La Grange event has a particular appeal for cheese monger Carolyn Waldee.
“I love this farmers market,” Waldee said. “This is actually the first one I worked back in 2018. The community is really lovely, there’s a great community of vendors here.”
A Taste of Michigan Cherries is in its second year at La Grange’s Farmers Market.
“We had tried to get into this market before, but there were no openings because there were none available,” Miguel Duran said. “Then something happened and they asked us if we wanted to try it, we said yes, and came right away last year in 2024 and it was very good for us in this market…we also have other markets. Saturdays, I’m in Park Ridge and my wife is in Arlington Heights.”
Customer Ashly Audet was at the market looking for fresh finds.
“We got some asparagus and we noticed it was the same price (as regular stores) and it’s local and a little bit fresher,” Audet said. “And we got some bread that was baked fresh and actually got some coffee that was roasted yesterday.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
