On Oct. 14, under cloudy skies and downpouring rain, the Huntley Farmers Market holds their annual Fall Fun Day despite the poor weather. The event featured activities such as free pumpkin decorating, a petting zoo, and many products from local businesses to take home. This event also marks the end of the outdoor vending season.
The Huntley Farmers Market has been the “second home” to many vendors and small businesses to sell their goods for the past 16 years. The outdoor market season begins in the spring and ends in the fall. During those couple months, every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., local businesses sell products from fresh produce to hand-crafted blankets.
Many vendors came out to sell their products despite strong winds and unrelenting rain. Vietnam veteran and owner of “Wayne’s Fruits & Vegetables” Wayne Workowski and his wife have been local vendors at the farmers market since its opening in 2007. Workowski was disappointed by the weather and the turnout of customers it would bring.
“It’s fall, so we have to accept it,” Workowski said. “It’s hard because it is the last outdoor market of the season. I just hope people realize it’s the last outdoor and if [they] can stand the weather, [they should] come on out.”
However, the weather did not put a damper on the community, as the farmers market has a welcoming environment that helps bring the Huntley community together. The vendors especially support each others’ businesses. Mayor Timothy Hoeft had a booth of his own this year with a Q&A for the locals in order to do his part in the community.
“I think it’s a great event,” Hoeft said. “We do all summer with the farmers markets but especially in the fall, the more we can get the community active, [the better].”
The summer season and sunny weather makes Saturday mornings a popular spot for families and groups of friends, and the final outdoor market is a great event for those who may miss those sunny days. The market works to bring not only the people of Huntley together, but also the people who take part in creating the farmers market.
“The vendor community is a pretty tight knit, we grow up as a family,” Kyle Dionne, owner of KRD farms said. “My 3-year-old [son] runs up and down the market and everybody knows him.”
