61st Street Farmers Market

61st Street Farmers Market pairs a producer-only, food-only vendor mix with Experimental Station’s broader mission of supporting cultural producers from Chicago’s South Side. That gives this Hyde Park market a clearly defined shape: groceries and prepared foods from growers and makers, rather than crafts or general merchandise. On Saturdays, the draw is the range within that food focus, from Michigan fruit and vegetables to Chicago-made tofu, South Side bean pie, Kenyan coffee, breads, cheeses, honey, and hot sauce.

What you'll find there

The mix here leans heavily toward ingredients you can build a meal around, with a strong showing from farms, bakers, and pantry producers alongside a few ready-to-eat specialties. Because the market is producer-only and food-only, the lineup stays centered on food raised, baked, brewed, cultured, or preserved by the vendors themselves.

• -Pick up freshly picked fruit and vegetables from Ellis Family Farms, a sixth-generation Michigan farm verified in MAEAP.
• -Shop Gorman Farm Fresh Produce for vegetable crops grown on 11 acres in Monee, with pre-orders accepted through Fridays at 10am.
• -Find organic, seasonal produce from Growing Home, a USDA-certified organic urban farm and workforce development social enterprise in Englewood.
• -Look for sustainably farmed, hand-harvested fruit and vegetables from Mick Klug Farm.
• -Bring home fresh vegetables, mushrooms, pickled vegetables, salsas, and jams from The Urban Canopy’s two-acre Englewood farm.
• -Taste high bush blueberries from Joe’s Blues!, along with blueberry juice, kombucha, and body products.
• -Pour local honey from Bike a Bee, bottled by garden and never heated, micro-filtered, or mixed with anything.
• -Choose vegan and gluten-free small-batch baked goods from Bot Bakery.
• -Add focaccia, ciabatta, pastries, and other breads from Montelimar Bread of Evanston.
• -Stop by Build Coffee for Publican Bakery breads and pastries, with Saturday bread pickup available by pre-order.
• -Stock up on French soups, breads, meals, and spreads from Cyrano’s On The Go.
• -Cook with Phoenix Bean Tofu, made in small batches from Illinois-grown non-GMO soybeans.
• -Buy grass-fed meats from Mint Creek Farm, an organic pasture-based livestock and poultry farm serving the Chicago area.
• -Slice into cheese curds, parmesan, aged cheddar, herb jacks, and fresh mozzarella from Stamper Cheese.
• -Stir in organic vinegars from MADE w/ L💖VE or chili and root-vegetable products from Lemaster Family Kitchen.
• -Finish with bean pie from Supreme Bean Pie, hot sauce from Quarter Mile Sauce Runnin’ Hot, Chicago-made frozen treats from Yoberri Gourmet, or single-origin coffee from Kikwetu Kenya Coffee Company.

Know before you go

No dogs are allowed, which is the clearest policy to factor into your Saturday plan. The market runs at 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. in Chicago’s Hyde Park area, and it shifts indoors in November, with Saturday markets continuing in November and December. If you shop from Build Coffee, you can pre-order bread for Saturday pickup, and if you’re buying from Gorman Farm Fresh Produce, that farm accepts pre-orders through Friday at 10am. Restrooms are not available on-site.

Payments & SNAP

SNAP/EBT is accepted at 61st Street Farmers Market, a useful detail if you’re planning a regular grocery stop here. The market also lists payment methods clearly, which helps when you’re splitting a shop between produce, breads, prepared foods, and pantry items.