As the days tick by, shorter and shorter, the temps start dipping, and the leaves begin their preview of autumn, the mind turns toward the late summer into winter farmers’ markets. And we are fortunate that farmers’ markets, though fewer, do run year-round in McHenry County. So as you start thinking of fall sweaters and winter coats, just remember that the markets await, no matter the temperature.
McHenry County Farmers Markets Guide
Looking for a farmers market near you? Well just look below in our guide for McHenry County farmers’ markets, broken out by city. We’ll continue to update this guide as we get more information to help you maintain your quest for local goodness, so be sure to bookmark it and return often!
Be sure to check out the market’s detailed listings for specifics as well as links to their websites. And you can save your Favorites if you’ve created your free member account.
See Summer Market details below.
If you see anything that is incorrect, we’d be happy to correct or update it. Please use the recommendation form below.
And if you are a McHenry County vendor or producer, be sure to add your listing to our Directory as well.
Please Help Us
Please help McHenry Life be the best source of event information in McHenry County.
If you manage or are involved with one of these farmers’ markets, please help us out and go to your Details page and claim your listing. You can do so at no cost and then you’ll be able to add more information, update information whenever and as often as you need to, and add photos and links to your website and social media pages. If you don’t see your event though, then please help us by adding it!
If you don’t manage a market, then help us by following our socials to keep up to date on events, and sharing our guides through your social media accounts and with your friends. Please recommend us to event providers and let them know when you found information about their event on McHenry Life. Finally, if you have some information about these or other events, feel free to use the form below to let us know.
Submit Others, Information, or Corrections
Did we miss one or include one that is no longer relevant? Or maybe you have information to add or do we need to correct our information? We greatly appreciate any help that others can provide. Please provide as much information, including links to other sources, as you can in the form below. Thanks!
Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
We’ve shaded those markets that need to be confirmed or updated.
Winter Farmers’ Markets
Cary Winter 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 2023 will actually be on Jan. 15th, not the 2nd.
When: Sundays, 9am – 1pm
Location: Algonquin Township Building Bldg #6, 3702 US-14 Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: October 2, 2022
Ending: April 16, 2023
Information: Details
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 Winter 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
Location: The Dole, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: November 6, 2022
Ending: April 23, 2023
Information: Details
Huntley Winter Farmer Markets
Huntley Indoor Farmers Market
Located at the Fellowship Hall in the 1st Congregational Church of Huntley.
When: Saturdays, 9am – 1pm
Location: 11628 E. Main St, Huntley, IL 60142
Beginning: November 12, 2022
Ending: May 13, 2023
Information: Details
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Woodstock Winter 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 29, 2022
Ending: April 16, 2023
Information: Details
Note: Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
Summer Farmers’ Markets
Cary Summer Farmer Markets
Cary Farmers Market
Located in downtown Cary in the Metra Station parking lot, rain or shine. The Cary Farmers Market is hosted by the Cary-Grove Rotary Club.
When: Sundays, 9am – 1pm
Location: Cary Metra Station Parking Lot, Cary, IL 60013
Beginning: June 5, 2022
Ending: September 25, 2022
Information: Details
Crystal Lake Summer Farmer Markets
Downtown Crystal Lake’s Farmers Market
Located in Depot Park near the Crystal Lake Metra Station, Crystal Lake’s Downtown Farmers Market provides an excellent opportunity for grabbing breakfast or lunch while perusing downtown shops and hitting the market. Live entertainment is often held in the gazebo during the farmers’ market.
When: Saturdays, 8am – 1pm
Location: Depot Park, 90 E Woodstock St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: June 18, 2022
Ending: September 24, 2022
Information: Details
Open Air Farmers Market+ At The Dole
Located at the grounds of The Dole, this newest entry aims to be part farmers market, part “mini-festival” with music, artists, and food & drinks.
When: Sundays, 10am – 2pm
Location: The Dole, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Beginning: May 29, 2022
Ending: October 30, 2022
Information: Details
Fox Lake Summer Farmer Markets
Fox Lake Farmers Market
Located in downtown Fox Lake.
When: Tuesdays, 3pm – 7pm
Location: 17 E. School Ct. Fox Lake, IL 60020
Beginning: June 7, 2022
Ending: September 27, 2022
Information: Details
Please Share Your Experiences!
What are your favorite farmers’ markets and why?
Have any tips or tricks?
Or do you have some great recipes to share?
Please, share your stories below!
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Huntley Summer Farmer Markets
Huntley Farmer’s Market
Located at the Huntley Town Square.
When: Saturdays, 8am – 1pm
Location: Coral St & N Church St, Huntley, IL 60142
Beginning: June 11, 2022
Ending: October 1, 2022
Information: Details
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.
Marengo Summer Farmer Markets
Marengo Community Farmers Market
Located at Calvin Spencer Park, the Marengo Community Farmers Market is another option for evening farmers markets. Come out for the fresh produce, fruits, and meats, but be sure to stay for the live music and family fun!
When: Fridays, 5pm – 8pm
Location: 351 Hale St, Marengo, IL 60152
Beginning: TBD
Ending: TBD
Information:
McHenry Summer Farmer Markets
Pearl Street Market
Located at Veteran’s Memorial Park in McHenry, this isn’t your everyday farmers market. Have a hard time making “regular” market hours? You’re in luck. The Pearl Street Market is actually held in the evenings, and for maximum enjoyment, it is combined with a concert series that follows the market (7pm – 9:30pm).
When: Thursdays, 5pm – 7:00pm
Location: 3400 Pearl Street, McHenry, IL 60050
Beginning: May 19, 2022
Ending: September 22, 2022
Information: Details
Spring Grove Summer Farmer Markets
Spring Grove Farmers Market
Located at Main Street Park in Spring Grove. This market takes place one day a month on the third Saturday, so be sure to mark it on your calendar!
When: Saturdays, 8am – 12:00pm
Location: 8013 Blivin St, Spring Grove, IL 60081
Beginning: May 21, 2022
Ending: October 15, 2022
Information: Details
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 Summer Farmer Markets
Woodstock Summer Farmers Market
Located around the historic Woodstock Square, the Woodstock Summer Farmers Market is sure to transport you back to a simpler, more relaxed time. The market, one of the largest in the area, is so big that it happens twice a week (see below)! This is a “producers-only market,” which means that everything offered by the vendors must be grown or produced directly by the vendor.
This award-winning market (#1 in Illinois, 5th in America for medium-sized markets, and for good measure, voted Best of the Fox) truly qualifies as an “outing.” Enjoy the market, take in live music from local artists, and enjoy the businesses around the square.
When: Saturdays 8am – 1pm
Location: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Beginning: April 23, 2022
Ending: October 22, 2022
Information: Details
Woodstock Tuesday Summer Farmers Market
Located around the historic Woodstock Square, the Tuesday Farmers Market provides another opportunity, or less crowded opportunity, for your farmers’ market shopping. This is a “producers-only market,” which means that everything offered by the vendors must be grown or produced directly by the vendor.
When: Tuesdays, 8am – 1pm
Location: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Beginning: May 3, 2022
Ending: September 27, 2022
Information: Details
Note: Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
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!