The kids are back at school, everyone is returning from vacation, and the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market is in full swing! Every Thursday from 9 AM-2 PM, the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market provides everything from handmade jewelry to plants. My novice Elginite self-has sadly, never been to the Market; until today. Along with my boss, Krisilee Murphy of the Elgin Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, we started the trek to Downtown Elgin Market. It’s a small market compared to others that I have been to, but I have never experienced the amount of passion that these vendors had!

We started at The Cheese People‘s tent where I tried a white cheddar pistachio cheese roll, and I have no doubt this is what the royals of old would have with the wine tasting. A local cheese maker who also custom ages their cheese or can even smoke them.

 Next, a “gluten-free” sign caught my eye, and I went over to the tent. For the past three years I have become gluten-sensitive, so finding gluten-free food is like Christmas morning. However, gluten-free tends to be thin, crumbles instantly, or tastes like cardboard, which is the exact opposite of what I found at the Smart Cookie Baker tent. The owner doesn’t only do cookies, she also does bread and everything she makes: gluten-free (as mentioned) dairy free, low carb, and anything artificial does not go into her baked goods.

After getting my gluten-free deliciousness, we stopped at Butter and Flour. The owner Christina lives in Hoffman Estates, makes everything at her house from scratch and brings them to the Market every Thursday. We grabbed some of her chocolate chip cookies and hurried on to the next tent before we bought all her baked goods because of how yummy everything looked (Update: the cookies were amazing).

Our next stop was to the Wasco Nursery and Garden Center tent where my boss picked up a butterfly weed in hopes of attracting more of them to her yard. The plant turns a beautiful orange color once it hits its season, and I have no doubt she will have more butterflies than she knows what to do with.

Our final stop was Windy Acres Farms. They are a family farm that provides everything from broccoli to tomatoes, jams, pies, donuts and fruits. I picked up my favorite fruits (nectarines, raspberries, and blueberries) and called it a day.

My overall impression of the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market: Very friendly and personable, I can’t wait to go back! Try out this great community asset! Every Thursday, from 9 AM- 2 PM the Downtown Elgin Harvest Market on 200 N Grove Ave, Elgin, IL 60120 accepts cash, credit, debit whatever is easiest for you. Help out local businesses!