Saturday mornings in Urbana continue to deliver one of summer's favorite traditions as Market at the Square welcomes shoppers with seasonal fruit, flowers and more than 100 Illinois vendors. This week's market brings the arrival of peaches and blueberries alongside community booths and Father's Day weekend offerings.
Photo: Karen Longwell/PEXELS
by Sentinel News ServiceOurSentinel.com
URBANA - There’s something about a Saturday morning at Market at the Square that feels like summer settling into its rhythm. Tomorrow morning, downtown Urbana will once again fill with shoppers carrying canvas bags, neighbors catching up over coffee, and more than 100 vendors turning the city center into one of central Illinois’ busiest weekly traditions. The Market at the Square runs from 7 a.m. to noon every Saturday from the first weekend in May through the last weekend in October — rain or shine — and this week’s lineup arrives with one unmistakable headline: peaches and blueberries are officially here. Several longtime favorites are bringing early-season fruit to market. Cary’s Garden of Eatin’ plans to offer both blueberries and peaches, while Fermanian Blueberries will set up near the tomato vendors. Mileur Orchards, traveling from Murphysboro, returns to its familiar spot, and Sager Farms of Kell will bring an earlier-than-expected peach crop, setting up in the area normally occupied by Leeyah-Symone Lemonade, which returns next week. For visitors making a Father’s Day weekend stop, Harden Ranch will be serving up something a little different than produce baskets. The ranch will offer bison steaks for grilling and Father’s Day meals, along with a buy-one-get-one-free special on knuckle bones for four-legged family members. Customers can also place orders for larger 30- and 80-pound meat bundles. Flower shoppers may want to arrive early. Delight Flower Farm says this weekend marks the final appearance of its standout peonies while also kicking off lily season at the market — a seasonal handoff that should bring plenty of color to market bags and kitchen tables. Meanwhile, The Little Farm Co. is arriving with what it calls a lush, vibrant harvest featuring an extensive selection of greens, roots and microgreens. Offerings include arugula, broccoli, kohlrabi, several signature blends, melons, Thai basil, radishes, leeks, sweet peas, sunflowers and pet grass. Visitors can find the farm in Row 2 and sample varieties before purchasing. Beyond the food and flowers, community organizations remain part of the market’s weekly draw. Campus Cooperative Preschool will host an informational booth during the event, sharing information about its play-based preschool programs and current fall enrollment opportunities. For first-time visitors, Urbana’s Market at the Square operates as a producer-only market. That means vendors sell products they have grown, raised, made or produced locally in Illinois. Shoppers will find everything from produce, meats and dairy products to prepared foods, plants, flowers, jewelry, pottery, woodwork, candles, clothing, body care products and garden décor. All vendors accept cash and personal checks. Many also accept credit cards, and some offer electronic payment options including Venmo and Apple Pay. LINK benefits are accepted, although funds must be converted into market tokens before purchases. For more information on using a LINK card, visit this link - Using your LINK card at the Urbana Market. Whether the goal is stocking up on summer produce, finding flowers for the table, picking up something for Dad, or simply spending a Saturday morning outdoors, Market at the Square continues to offer one of Urbana’s easiest reasons to slow down and wander. Additional weekly market information is available at urbanamarket.org.
This week's vendors:
5am Bakery
Aban Irani
ABC123 Craft Studio
Advocates for Aging Care
AO - Spicy and Sweet
Artesanía Nails
AT&T
Atropos Scissors
Bad Bear Pottery
Bakelab LLC
Ben & Molly's Farm
Berries and Flour: Bakery & Harvest Goods, L.L.C.
Bunning's Bakery
Burrito King Food Trucks
Campus Cooperative Preschool
Carly Morrison Clay
Carnation Bookhouse
Cary's Garden of Eatin
Central Illinois Bakehouse
Champaign County Democrats
Champaign County Environmental Stewards
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
CIMIC
Cindy Sampson/sampson N delilah
Ck Almonds
Claybank Farms
Cloud Mountain Kombucha
Country Cottage Farm
Cuddlebug Cottage
DayDreams
Delight Flower Farm
Designed With Hartman
Discardistry
Disco Cheeks
El Oasis
Elm City Coffee
EvermoreWood
Everyday Feast
Fabrikate
Foufoufactory
Fruitful Vines
Gadgets & Gizmos A-plenty
Gelater llc
Gigi's Soapery
Good Judys Espresso & Bagel Bar
Granny Cakes
Green G Farm
Hanna’s Hobbies
Harden Ranch
Heart Fired Pottery
Illinois Willows
J&S Sales
Jasmine’s Jewelry Co
Jehovah's Witnesses
Joyfully Blooming
Jurassic Grill
Just Sew Sew
Keke's
Koller family gardens
Kountry Fresh / Koss Family Farms
Lancaster Flower Co.
Laurel & Lemon Children's Clothing
League of Women Voters
Light of the World Fragrant Candles LLC
Little Bird Pottery
Living Light Farms
Lucania Arts
Madilyn Jane Ceramics
Maxwell’s Mushroom Farm
Melissa Morgan
Mellie Lia Crafts
Mexican Delicacies La Paloma
MILEUR ORCHARD
Moore Family Farm
Mueller Family Farm LLC
Nan Argentine Sweets
Nano Farms
Niece's Pieces Brownies
NitroCup
Not Too Sweet
nuEra Cannabis
Ochoa Farm
Olde Tyme Kettle Korn
OLLI at Illinois
Phil Strang Artist
Piato Catering & Organic Food Nanny
PopCycle, LLC
Power House COGIC
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery
Reimagined Relics
Richard Oosterhoff & Son
SBSTRANDCOLLECTION
Science at the Market, Physics UIUC
Silver Lining Goods
Skye & Earth Jewelry
Sola Gratia Farm
Sparkles by Stephanie
SPROUTS!
Stango Cuisine
Strawberry Void
Strictly Wicks Candle Company
Studio Mayday
Sugared In Champaign LLC
Suline Creations LLC
Sweet N Simple
Tempered Mettle Historical Fencing
The Blooming Idiot
The Button Man
The Cousins Dog Biscuit Co
The Little Farm Co.
The Macaron Palace
The Wright Soapery
Thoughtful Fiber Arts
Three Berry Flowers
Tiger Gardens
Triple S Farms
Ts Random Snacks by Letisha
Twin City Theatre Company
Uniquely Blended Mood Modifiers
University of Illinois Developmental Psychology Labs
Warm Paws Bakery
Winfrey Wood Works
