The downtown Evanston Farmers Market opened for the 2024 season Saturday with mild temperatures under sunny skies — and an impressive first-day crowd.
People milled around the market grounds behind the Maple Avenue garage.
Vendors were selling a wide range of goods ranging from traditional farm fresh items such as eggs, produce, snacks and ready-to-eat meals.
One vendor familiar to market-goers is Gotta B Crepes, owned by Ryan and Cathia Jones.
Jones’ booth easily has the longest line of any of the vendors at the market all morning.
Jones said he and his wife started making crepes about 19 years ago as employees at a restaurant called Magic Pan.
After the restaurant closed, they started making crepes on a neighbor’s front porch. Unfortunately, a broken foot prevented Kathia from attending the market opening on Saturday.
Her absence was poignant enough that she gave her husband Facetime tutorials on how to prepare the different sauces used in crepes.
When asked why their crepes are so popular, Jones doesn’t hesitate to admit it’s “my wife’s sauces.” Made-from-scratch sauces are used to prepare all kinds of sweet and savory crepes.
Some market goers like certain vendors, and end up selling their favorite products behind the vendor’s booth.
This is what happened to Savannah Reher. She started out as an enthusiastic customer of Wanda Farms’ fresh meat, and now she’s “helping them in the market,” she said. The main reason she likes Wanda Farms products is “because I can trust the food.”
Market leader Raj Malhotra is looking forward to drinking his favorite coffee from Kikwetu Coffee Company, which is based in Chicago and serves the authentic Kenyan coffee that Malhotra loves.
Of course, the market has always been a family affair. Claire Mallory and her daughter Phoebe, accompanied by Eric Klein, stopped to snack on their favorite market food on a shaded bench behind the Hilton Garden Inn. They are veterans of Chicago farmers markets but prefer the Evanston market.
“It’s amazing,” Claire said. I loved the fact that everything you need from a farmers market is available in one location. She is very grateful that parking is relatively easy compared to most Chicago markets.
The Farmers Market will continue every Saturday through November 2.
Related
#Spring #Farmers #Market #Returns #Evanston
