Winter farmers markets in McHenry County means you don’t have to give up trips to the farmers market just because winter comes a calling. The winter markets are also a great way to support local farmers and producers even in the colder months. While the selection of produce may be more limited than in the summer, you can still find a variety of winter-hardy fruits and vegetables, as well as meats, cheeses, baked goods, and other prepared foods. No matter the season, our Farmers’ Market Guide has you covered.
There are less farmers markets over the winter months than the rest of the year. You’ll also find that they may not be as frequent, so be sure to check the schedule for your favorite markets. But winter farmers markets are held indoors, which can even be a more comfortable shopping experience than at the height of summer. Some markets may also offer more alternative goods, like arts and crafts, as well as special events, such as cooking demonstrations or live music.
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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 the 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 are a McHenry County vendor or producer, be sure to add your listing to our Directory as well.
Click to 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 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!
We’ve shaded those markets that need to be confirmed or updated.
Note: Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
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.
Location: Algonquin Township Building Bldg #6, 3702 US-14 Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Times: 1st & 3rd Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm
Dates: October 1, 2023 – April 15, 2024
Information: Details
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.
Typical foods at winter farmers markets:
- Winter vegetables: root vegetables, cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
- Fruits: apples, pears, citrus fruits, pomegranates
- Meats: beef, pork, lamb, poultry
- Cheeses: hard cheeses, aged cheeses
- Baked goods: breads, pastries, pies
- Prepared foods: soups, stews, chili, sauces
- Other products: honey, maple syrup, jams, jellies, nuts, dried fruits
Crystal Lake Winter Farmer Markets
Open Air Farmers Market+ At The Dole
Located inside The Dole, part farmers market, part “mini-festival” with music, artists, and food & drinks. What better way to spend a cold winter Sunday? The market runs from November through April on select Sundays.
Location: The Dole, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Times: Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm
Dates: November 5, 2023 – April 22, 2024 (see details for specific dates)
Information: Details
Huntley Winter Farmer Markets
Huntley Indoor Farmers Market
Located at the Fellowship Hall in the 1st Congregational Church of Huntley. December and November markets are located at the Legion Hall. So Details.
Location: 11628 E. Main St, Huntley, IL 60142
Times: Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Dates: November 11, 2023 – May 11, 2024
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 from November through April on select Saturdays.
Location: 11900 Country Club Rd Building D, Woodstock, IL 60098
Times: Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Dates: November 4, 2023 – April 15, 2024 (see details for specific dates)
Information: Details
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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.
Address: Cary Metra Station Parking Lot, Cary, IL 60013
Times: Sundays, 9 am – 1 pm
Dates: June 4, 2023 – September 24, 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 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.
Address: Depot Park, 90 E Woodstock St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Times: Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm
Dates: June 17, 2023 – September 30, 2023
Open Air Farmers Market+ At The Dole
Located at the grounds of The Dole, it aims to be part farmers market, part “mini-festival” with music, artists, and food & drinks.
Address: The Dole, 401 Country Club Rd, Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Times: Sundays, 10 am – 2 pm
Dates: May 28, 2023 – October 29, 2023 (except 6/25 & 7/2)
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Fox Lake Summer Farmer Markets
Fox Lake Farmers Market
Located in downtown Fox Lake.
Address: 17 E. School Ct. Fox Lake, IL 60020
Times: Tuesdays, 3 pm – 7 pm
Dates: June 6, 2023 – August 29, 2023 (except 7/4)
Information: Details
Huntley Summer Farmer Markets
Huntley Farmer’s Market
Located at the Huntley Town Square.
Address: Coral St & N Church St, Huntley, IL 60142
Times: Saturdays, 8 am – 1 pm
Dates: May 27, 2023 – October 14, 2023
Information: Details
Johnsburg Summer Farmer Markets
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!
Location: 351 Hale St, Marengo, IL 60152
Times: Fridays, 5pm – 8pm
Dates: TBD – TBD
Information:
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.
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 (7 pm – 9:30 pm).
Location: 3400 Pearl Street, McHenry, IL 60050
Times: Thursdays, 5 pm – 7:00 pm
Dates: May 18, 2023 – September 14, 2023
Information: Details
Spring Grove Summer Farmer Markets
Spring Grove Farmers Market
This market takes place one day a month on the third Saturday, so be sure to mark it on your calendar!
Address: 7401 Meyer Rd, Spring Grove, IL 60081
Times: 3rd Saturday, 8 am – 12 pm
Dates: May 20, 2023 – October 21, 2023
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 truly qualifies as an “outing.” Enjoy the market, take in live music from local artists, and enjoy the businesses around the square.
Address: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Times: Saturdays 8 am – 1 pm
Dates: April 29, 2023 – October 28, 2023
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.
Location: 121 W Van Buren St, Woodstock, IL 60098
Times: Tuesdays, 8 am – 1 pm
Dates: June 6, 2023 – September 26, 2023
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Note: Please consult the respective informational sources for the most current information as details may have changed since publication or update.
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 Comments
Miranda Rutkowski
What an AWESOME list of all our local farmer’s markets! Thanks for this!