The calendar may officially confirm that it is fall, but you can hold onto the last remnants of summer by visiting the Westown Farmers’ Market.
Located in Zeidler Union Square on Michigan St. between 3rd and 4th St., the market is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Wednesday. It closes for the season Oct. 28, meaning there are three more opportunities to check out its diverse selection of food and craft vendors.
Sarah Tomczyk, coordinator of marketing and events for Westown Association, explains that the market is definitely worth the 15-minute walk from campus.
“It’s a great opportunity to get a lot of people downtown to check out the Westown area and to partake in a lot of the vendors that we have,” Tomczyk said.
All of the vendors are local sellers and some have come to the Westown Farmers’ market since it started more than 20 years ago.
Leona Robran has been a vendor since the beginning. Robran sells nearly every kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable, all grown on Robran’s Greenhouse, her farm in Waterford, Wisconsin. She said she keeps coming back because the people are so nice.
“I try to plan my meals with whatever is fresh and available,” said Nicole Knicker, a patron of the market who visits every Wednesday on her lunch break from work. “The produce is always fresh, (especially) the herbs I love cooking with.”
The market seems to be a favorite escape for people who work in the surrounding office buildings and are seeking good food and a serene environment.
“Each farmers’ market has a different feel,” said Venice Williams, executive director of Alice’s Garden, a two-acre community garden. Alice’s Garden raises funds by selling fresh and dry herbs from the garden, along with herbal body care products at the market. “What I like about the Westown Market is that an everyday work population comes to the market. I like seeing the workers come out of their concrete buildings and enjoy the market.”
“What I like about the Westown Market is that an everyday work population comes to the market,” Williams said. “I like seeing the workers come out of their concrete buildings and enjoy the market.”
The market offers many fresh and delicious raw ingredients, but you don’t need access to a kitchen in order to find something tasty at the farmers’ market. There are plenty of vendors selling pre-made foods and baked goods, along with food trucks.
“I usually get something from the food trucks,” said Valerie Reiff, another weekly patron. “I like getting outside and I like the fresh bakery too.”
From sandwiches to pizza, soups and even empanadas, the market has plenty of appetizing hot and cold lunch options that can turn a simple trip off campus into a relaxing afternoon picnic.
