Great mushroom stand , the mushrooms were awesome and the women that sold me the mushrooms are very…read morebeautiful ....

I've been to a number of Farmers Markets throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. From the…read moremarket in Daley Center to markets on the near west side, Lombard, Brookfield, Skokie, and now Riverside. While parking can be questionable at some locations the regular and handicap parking here seems plentiful within the the square and the entire area has both a true small town feel and also a big local park feel with trees and flowers. For an afternoon Farmers Market there was a full supply of vendors during each of my visits. Many have mentioned the knife sharpening and after I had a pair of scissors sharpened I'm also a believer. With many vendors offering multiple types of veggies and plants there is a lot to look at. While I didn't buy raw honey (not super processed or pasteurized so most people say it has better health benefits and and fuller flavor) here at Riverside yet, I expect to need some at the start of the next season. There are multiple Amish vendors and I was lucky to spend a while talking to one of the Amish families about their farm and some of their core values. I've worked directly with a few different Amish families in Illinois and Indiana and have found each to be an unique experience. If you have time to talk to some of them or buy your veggies or baked goods from them you'll love the experience. Some people I've spoken to treat a Farmers Market like a bartering flea market but I find the quality to be high and prices reasonable and don't think that it's appropriate to ask a farmer or baker to lower their price when they have put some high labor in to their products. Hard work should be rewarded.

I started shopping at Oak Farms after Butera closed. The store is clean and the staff are helpful…read moreand friendly. They have excellent pricing and many bargains compared to other stores. Their produce and meat are usually priced below other stores and are of excellent quality! I purchased some T-Bone steaks and chicken breasts that were on sale today and the steaks were the best I've ever had! They were so tender that they melted in your mouth! Do yourself a favor and at least check this store out...

** Clean Store ** ** Friendly Staff **…read more** Many Selections ** Have stopped in to Oak Farms Market many times. They have had everything I was looking for. The staff are always smiling and friendly and that is always appreciated. Nice neighborhood market with plenty to offer. I'll be back!

I have to say that I'm really surprised by the farmer's markets that have been established on the…read morenorthwest side. I visited the North Branch Market a few weeks ago and this weekend decided to check out the Park Ridge Farmer's Market, and it's another great market. Honestly, I don't get the popularity of something like the Green City Market and though the Lincoln Square Farmer's Market (which used to be my usual) isn't anywhere near as good. There are lots of vendors here. The portion of the market where I entered had a lot of food and goods vendors--pizza truck, ice cream company, bakery, kettle corn, olive oil (there were two!), textiles, soaps & scents, and more. I thought that street was the extent of the market, but when I neared the end I saw that it extends into the parking lot on the street and that section has a lot more. There were at least five different farm operations represented, a man selling meats, and there was a cheese stand as well. It's the height of summer, so I ended up with plums, blackberries, blue cheese and curds, some bread, and a couple other goodies. This market was a really great balance of the Farm in Farmer's market with so many selling here and various other sundries. A four-piece classical quartet serenaded folks as they wandered the market; I assume that the musical entertainment changes from week to week. They had a children's activity booth where this weekend kids were playing with clay with a local artist, and there was a community booth where a local food pantry was collecting donations (the market was also encouraging folks to buy two of an item to donate one to the food pantry). Again, their schedule changes, so I got the impression that the children's activity may be different on different weekends. The market opens early (7 a.m., I think) and the kid's booth starts around 9. Parking is excellent. There's a lot off the street where the market is held with space for a great deal of cars--I think its primary function is as a municipal lot. There's also copious amounts of street parking around as well. If you're in the area on Saturday while the market is in swing, this is a fantastic one you should put on your agenda.

Happened upon the Park Ridge Farmer's Market and was pleasantly surprised. Parking was a bit tough…read morebut this farmers market had a wide variety of vendors. I saw an assortment of produce, artisan goods, local businesses, flowers, cheeses, canned/jarred goods, meats, and more! The market was a decent size and runs on Saturdays from 7am-1pm. I also loved that they had some food trucks theres to offer a good beverage or bite to eat as you peruse! Definitely try to stop by early to ensure nothing is sold out!

"Portage Park Farmer's Market" happens on the 1st., 3rd., and 5th. Sundays of each month from June…read moreto October (check the calender for details). Majority of the vendors are the regulars, with a few of them pop in every once in awhile. I would say check their official FB or IG page to see who are coming for a particular weekend so that you don't miss out on them! I notice one of the vendors is quite popular and customers always line up for it. "Gotta B Crepes" has the biggest tent on the corner of Long and Irving Park. Their crepes are made-to-order. The owner does his one-man show by the grills while striking fun conversations with every customer he services. "Gotta B Crepes" has a large menu, I would say, ranging from sweet to savory, with some seasonal offerings. I personally think it's somewhat messy to eat at a park, so we usually make it the last stop for our Farmer's Market trip and head home to enjoy them with a cup of coffee. We haven't really stopped by every vendor, as we only show up if our 3-year old son wakes up early enough to participate any morning activity. In other words, we would visit once or twice every season for the most part. Nevertheless, I love having a Farmer's market in our neighborhood park and most of them do accept cashless payment options nowadays! Customer parking is available near the pool on the northeast corner of the park. Often times street parking is available on each perimeter. Overall, it makes a good choice for an easy and economical family outing.

So many vendors! I was surprised at how many hot food items were offered (vendors with tacos,…read moreempanadas, burgers, sausage, breakfast sandwiches, crepes, etc.). I only saw three fruit/veggie booths but that was more than enough for what I was looking for. Coffee, chai, horchata, agua frescas.... Plenty to drink. Live music. And the highlight for me was a visit to the @vargobrothersferments tent to get some kimchi and garlic sauce and a kombucha. Check them out!

I had a good time. The food is so good and prices is reasonable. Great place and great serviceread more

Always a great time on a Sunday Morning/Afrernoon , seams like everyone in the city attends…read moreincluding pets, the market has continuously expanded over time bringing in some incredible options from Fresh Fruits and Vegetables , Bee Farmers and locally harvested honey , to nearby flower growers , to Coffee Brewers , Bread Makers , Etc Etc , just a perfect way to unwind , If you're hungry for something different , nearby restaurants like Longmen and Eagle will oblige . .

Now Yelpers, listen up, do you SUFFER from Hayfever like I do??…read moreHere's a secret to save you money and make you less miserable: Buy local honey at this market (a bottle is $10--way cheaper than OTC Zertec or Claritin) and eat a tablespoon a day. Before you know it, your allergies will be gone. Why?! Because the bees roam around the city and pollinate from the same plants that give your that runny nose and those itchy eyes. Think of it as a painless immunization. The beekeeper has her beehives right behind at her Carpenter Street house. If you really get into it, you can work a deal with the caring beekeeper to purchase a huge bucket for several months. And the honey is BEE-LICIOUS! (yes, that was lame). More Good News: Gosh, what a cute cultural market! The salespeople are so sweet and friendly. The love for what they specialize in or do shines through in their smiles. The market is like none of the others in the city due to its Latin American cultural roots and flavors. They have private, original art for sale (meet the artisans themselves), fresh vegetables, breakfast items, coffee/tea/mate, delicious-looking pastries, dog treats, and my favorite...local honey products. They even have a great looking website (listed above). The Bad News: While it is VERY small (10 tents possibly), they have a great variety of local products. Bring cash! :) The VERY Bad News: You'll have to wait until next year ;(. The market only runs (well this past year) on Sundays from July 27th until October 26th 9 am to 2 pm. ---- Featured in the Weekly Yelp-Chicago "Farmers Market Almanac" on June 2, 2009: http://www.yelp.com/weekly?editorial_id=W8Z6vofGex0KswvVq8Uxhw

Agreed, it's a small Farmer's Market but still worth a visit. I always feel great about supporting…read morelocal farmers and merchants and the bonus is I get good treats to eat. Today we stopped there after grabbing some coffee on 18th and Carpenter ;-). We picked up some juicy tomatoes, corn, onions, grape tomatoes, potatoes and garlic. I also grabbed some chicken and mole and ground beef and potatoes empanadas on the way out for our lunch. We reheated them on the panini grill at lunch time. I also scored some fun peach jam. Can't wait to go back next week and try the fresh bread, pastries, vegetarian tamales and tarts. I figure we will take our own "carry out" bags to do good for the environment and take a blanket with so we can turn our Farmer's Market walk into a Sunday picnic. Farmer's Market ends Oct. 28 for 2013. I'm sad I didn't start going sooner but I plan on grabbing some treats from now til then.

I really like this store !! It has just about all the things that I need. And it in the…read moreneighborhood. Too me it's for the people that are mo to handle mostly Spanish people but it also has things that we Black peoples use. Their meats. Are prices good. The store is very clean. The staff is pleasant. One of my favorite places to shop!!

It's a shame. The regulars at the store are amazing, but I don't know what kind of people they are…read morehiring for the hours that the regulars are not there it's a not a good feeling when you're disrespected and can't even be looked at when you're ordering your deli meat no personality. Don't go to the store in the evening after four on weekends if you're using the deli, the deli people in the morning are the best.

Jerry's Fruit & Garden has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop. They have an…read moreincredible selection of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables you probably won't find at a typical grocery store. Everything I've bought has been fresh, and the prices are honestly some of the best I've seen in a long time. Some of the deals I found were amazing: strawberries for just $0.98 a pack, a large pack of raspberries for $3.98, chicken breasts for $1.98 per pound, and ribeye steaks for $9.99 per pound. With grocery prices being so high these days, stores like this are such a huge help. The only downside is that weekends are extremely busy, so I'd recommend going first thing in the morning if you can. Even with the crowds, it's absolutely worth the trip. Great quality, unbeatable prices, and a fantastic place to stretch your grocery budget!

We carefully picked a "good" time to drop in here for the first time in well over a decade, mainly…read moreto see what the fuss was about with Jerry's. The wife says we came here once before many years ago but I don't remember it.  They've been at it here for 53 years since 1972. Normally, we avoid it due to the madhouse scene that is usually here (like when traffic can't even enter the parking lot from busy Milwaukee Ave because the parking lot is overflowing lol).  Well, it was -3F on a frigid Friday night and we were across Milwaukee Ave at the Jewel, and it was eerily quiet in Jewel, and we thought it was as good a time as any to also visit Jerry's lol. Well, it was relatively calm, and we found a close by parking spot, but there were still plenty of shoppers in Jerry's.  Their inventory is huge and truly impressive as are their prices.  No wonder this place is so super popular.  We picked up some cherries for $2.49 per lb and strawberries at a promo price of $0.79 per 1 lb container.  I would say 4.5 stars for our visit tonight, but really on their normal super-crowded shopping basis, I would still say 3 stars overall.  I don't personally think the hassle factor of shopping here for fruits and vegetables is worth it for the savings and the variety of offerings, thus the 2 star deduct.  But you have to decide for yourself, and apparently for many others, Jerry's is well worth the trip, and kudos to Jerry's for that and continued good luck and success to them.