Dole Market Moves Back Outdoors In May

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — A year-round farmers market in Crystal Lake will soon be moving outdoors again for the summer season.

The farmers market at the Dole Mansion, 401 Country Club Road, started last summer. The last indoor farmers market for the winter season was held this past Sunday, and on May 29, the farmer's market will again head outside for its second summer season.

Besides providing locally sourced fruits, vegetables, flowers and other goods from local farmers, there is also art available for sale, children's attractions and food trucks where you can grab brunch and lunch fare. There's also live acoustic music, and a cash bar that has brunch drink specials and coffee drinks.

Event cofounder Sharon LeCoque started the market last June with her husband Jay— who is the vice president of the Lakeside Legacy Foundation. The farmers market, she told the Northwest Herald, will double the number of vendors it has this year. The market was voted the best in Illinois last year by American Farmland Trust and among the top three best markets in the Midwest.

“We opened with a bang,” LeCoque told the Northwest Herald. “Our market exploded very quickly, and we’re just really excited to be moving back outdoors again. It’s such a fun vibe.”

The market will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays from May 29 through October. There will be no markets on June 26 and July 3 when the Dole's Lakeside Festival is scheduled to take place.