Don’t let the cold winter months keep you away from the farmers’ markets! Living in McHenry County, we are fortunate to have some amazing farmer markets. While it’s true that many of the markets only run during the warmer months, we do still have a handful of markets that operate over the winter as well. Days, times, and locations may vary from their warmer month counterparts, so be sure to check our guide below for specifics.
McHenry County Farmers Markets Guide
Looking for a farmers market near you? While many farmers markets only run during the warmer months of the year, we are fortunate to have a handful of winter farmers markets! Our guide for McHenry County winter farmers markets, broken out by city, will help you maintain your quest for local goodness! We’ll continue to update this guide as we get more information.
If you know of or are connected with a local farmers market in McHenry County that we’ve missed, we’d love your help getting them added to the list. Please see the Recommendations form below.
Recommendations Form
Cary Farmer Markets
Cary Winter Farmer’s Market
Located in building #6 at the Algonquin Township Road District on the 1st & 3rd Sundays of the month. * First market of 2022 will actually be on Jan. 9th, not the 2nd.
When: Sundays, 9am – 1pm
Location: Algonquin Township Building Bldg #6, 3702 US-14 Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: October 3, 2021
Ending: May 15, 2022
Information: Website, McHenry Life Event Listing
Make It Yours
Whether you are shopping for your weekly meal planning, grabbing a coffee and some scones, taking in the local entertainment (actual entertainers or the other patrons), or making the rounds through the market, grabbing breakfast nearby, and hitting the shops…make it yours.
Put it on the calendar. Make it a ritual. Consider it quality family time. Maybe even plan to actually meet your neighbor or some friends there.
Whatever you do, I think you may find a sense of grounding within your community. Hopefully, it can become a relaxing, de-stressor for not just your day but your whole week. And ultimately, it may not only help feed your family but also your soul.
Crystal Lake Farmer Markets
Open Air Farmers Market+ At The Dole
Located inside The Dole, this newest entry aims to be part farmers market, part “mini-festival” with music, artists, and food & drinks.
When: Sundays, 10am – 2pm (generally 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month; except January: 16th, 30th)
Location: The Dole, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: November 7, 2022
Ending: April 24, 2022
Information: Website, McHenry Life Event Listing
It’s About Community
More than just location, but also more than just produce and goods…perhaps farmer markets also fill a nostalgic void. They still serve as a connecting point within the community. It may not always be a “running into your neighbor” kind of thing, but just milling about a farmers’ market with other locals provides a sense of connection.
Living in Madison, Wisconsin for nearly a decade, I spent more than a few Saturday mornings walking around the Capitol square at the farmers market. I’ll confess that often my only purchase was a coffee or mocha and some scones. It was more than just a shopping excursion, it was an event and entertainment, watching the crowd, and often a tour down State Street and back as well.
Huntley Farmer Markets
Huntley Indoor Farmers Market
Located at the Legion Hall, across from the Huntley Town Square.
When: Saturdays, 9am – 1pm
Location: 11712 Coral St, Huntley, IL 60142
Beginning: January 8, 2022
Ending: May 14, 2022
Information: Website, McHenry Life Event Listing
It’s About Location
Farmer markets are heavily reliant on local producers, often within a limited radius of the market itself. Shoppers often look to farmer markets not just for freshness, perhaps organic or more environmentally responsible practices, but also for being locally produced and the sense of community that comes from supporting the markets.
While you can find farmer markets in metropolitan areas, McHenry County is positioned beautifully to truly capitalize on its mixed suburban-rural makeup. I don’t think it is an exaggeration to say that you are 5 minutes, or less, from the country from anywhere within the county. This means that many of the vendors are often from McHenry County themselves.
Woodstock Farmer Markets
Woodstock Winter Farmers Market
The market is held in Building “D” at the McHenry County Fairgrounds. Along with our usual farm market offerings, we will have several Artisans at each market. The market runs mid-October through April on select Saturdays.
When: Saturdays, 9am – 1pm
Location: 11900 Country Club Rd Building D, Woodstock, IL 60098
Beginning: October 30, 2021
Ending: April 16, 2022
Information: Website, McHenry Life Event Listing
Note: Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
If you are connected with any of these or any other local McHenry County farmers market, we’d be happy to correct, update, or add your information. Please use the recommendation form above. We also invite you to add or claim your free Directory listing (if appropriate) or your free Event listing for your market.
Farmer Markets History
Farmer markets can be traced back to ancient Egypt, thousands of years ago. And in the US, farmer markets actually predate the founding of our country! Of course, in the early days, prior to the proliferation of grocery stores, they served a basic necessity.
Their popularity, like many things, has ebbed and flowed over the decades. With the health craze of the seventies, they experienced a resurgence, and today, we may be experiencing a similar growth pattern. While many grocery stores have added more fresh produce, meats, and cheeses, one thing farmer markets tend to out-deliver them on is locality.
President and Founder of Identity Developments, LLC, the parent company of the McHenry Life website. My hope for McHenry Life is to create a resource and destination for the residents and businesses of McHenry County alike. A place where residents can discover new places to explore, fun events and ways to spend time, and then share those experiences with others. A place where businesses can connect with existing and potential customers, and not simply market their businesses, but share their own unique stories.
1 Comment
Miranda Rutkowski
What an AWESOME list of all our local farmer’s markets! Thanks for this!