Despite Saturday morning’s frigid temperatures, the Roosevelt Collection Shops’ indoor event space was warm and bustling.
Shoppers sampled locally grown produce as dogs trotted by on leashes and children played in the “Kids Zone.” The smells of tamales, sweet nuts and fresh-baked goods filled the large indoor space, while loud, upbeat music pulsed from a DJ booth.
Organizers said that Saturday’s South Loop Farmers Market drew about 1,200 customers to its weekly event, down from the 1,500 and 2,000 visitors who typically come each Saturday to the Roosevelt location.
“Even though it was cold today, we still made the effort to just get out of the house and do something,” Bronzeville resident Nina Idemudia said of the market that attracts shoppers from across Chicagoland to browse a wide range of goods, including mushrooms, salsa, artisanal coffee and treats for their pets.
“My partner loves coming to the farmers market and she came last week and was raving about it.”
First opening in summer 2012 by cofounders Stephanie Jokich and Tina Feldstein, their original intention was to create more community engagement in the South Loop. But as their markets have grown, so have their goals.
“It’s always been community-based at the foundation, but now it’s turned into so much more,” Jokich said. “It’s turned into, not just the need to support our local economy and our food system, but to really cultivate joy.”
In January 2023, they opened their first winter indoor market at the Roosevelt Collection Shops, eventually expanding the market to operate during warmer months as well as more dates in the colder months. Last year, the winter market became so popular that they opened another location at the Water Tower Place.
She said both spaces continue to attract more customers as the weeks go by, although Saturday attendance was noticeably lower than in previous weeks due to the freezing cold and a weather advisory. The morning temperature at O’Hare International Airport was around minus 9, according to the National Weather Service.
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Typically, around 50 to 55 vendors attend the Saturday market, most of them hyper-local to Chicagoland, though some vendors, mostly farmers, are from the surrounding states, including Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin.
In total, there were 41 vendors, with three pulling out the morning of due to the weather conditions.
But that didn’t stop Chris Hebron, owner of Hebron Farms, from making the trek from Vandalia, Michigan, with his daughter. Typically, their commute to Roosevelt Collection Shops is two hours, but with the harsh weather, it was almost three hours.
Hebron has participated in the South Loop Farmers Market for nine years and is one of the longest-participating vendors. He sells various meats and seasonal produce each week from his small, family-owned farm.
“We just got such a loyal customer base in the South Loop that we’ve felt it’s like our obligation to keep feeding them,” Hebron said.
Zeitlin’s Delicatessen has been a vendor at the farmers market for almost six years. Owned by Sam Zeitlin, the small business sells modern Jewish bakery and deli classics, including bagels, challah and babkas, alongside Chicago-inspired creations such as giardiniera focaccia and hot dogs stuffed in everything bagels.
“It’s really important, regardless of where you live in the city, to have access to fresh local food,” said Rebecca Adame, a close friend of Zeitlin’s who was working the market. “Being able to come here and people are still like treading out in the cold like that means a lot.”
Thanks to his success at the South Loop market and other pop-ups across the city, Zeitlin opened his first brick-and-mortar location this past November.
“I really appreciate that the crowd is always good vibes and the South Loop team, they’re all so amazing,” Adame said. “They’re so supportive.”
The Jewish-based deli had a steady stream of regulars and new customers throughout the morning.
Craving a bagel before he arrived at the market, South Loop resident Matthew Sidelinker said that when he saw Zeitlin’s, he knew he had to try one. He ordered a jalapeño cheddar bagel with scallion cream cheese, while his wife chose an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese.
“It’s really nice to see people braving the cold to still come out here and support people in the community,” Sidelinker said. “We were pleasantly surprised that there’s this many people walking around.”
The Saturday South Loop Farmers Market runs at Roosevelt Collection Shops from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through March 28. The Sunday market is at the Water Tower Place, 12-4 p.m. through March 29. Both locations offer two hours of free validated parking, and pets are welcome.