This Saturday the Middle Market has its season premiere at Lincoln Square Mall from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Since the Market is indoors, it’s a great place to spend some time browsing the vendors and staying warm. Already in its second year, the Middle 
Market is already growing by leaps and bounds The Middle Market will feature some of your favorite market vendors, as well as fresh produce.
The Middle Market is a monthly market, not a weekly market, so don’t miss the opportunity to shop this weekend or you’ll have to wait a whole month for the next one. The Middle Market runs one Saturday a month from January to April. The addition of the third market in Urbana is the culmination of a campaign by the Urbana Business Association and its partners to provide year round market opportunities for patrons to shop and buy local. The markets are also a great way to boost the local economy, reduce the amount of time and distance that your food travels (and increase the deliciousness), and support local farmers in our community. The middle market is one of the smaller markets, but as more people attend and vendors sign up, the market will continue to grow.
This week, there will be a lot of homemade goods on offer, including breads, cookies, and other baked treats.The market will also feature apples, lettuces, and other hardy winter produce items. There will be plenty of homemade craft items, like jewelry, woodcrafts, apparel, and home décor. Jams, jellies, and preserves will be available. With the winter weather upon us, toast with some summer fruit jam or some homemade treats with raspberry or peach jelly filling are just perfect for warming you up! Maybe with a cup of coffee made from freshly roasted beans from Piato café with some delicious basked goods from Pekara will do the trick. The food at the market is always worth the trip, even when the temperatures outside are low. And since the market is indoors, it’s a great way to beat the cabin fever of having been cooped up inside for the last couple of weeks due to extreme weather and temperatures.
If you are interested in knowing in advance if your favorite vendor will be at the market, the Urbana Business Association is now offering a list of the vendors for each week. To check the list for this week, see here.
So, I hope you will come out and give Urbana’s youngest market a try this week! There is a lot going on in C-U and the markets are just one great example of how residents can shop local and support the local economy. While the produce at the market in the winter isn’t as plentiful as the summer market, there is still plenty to fill up your market tote. All of the items at the market, from produce to baked goods to craft items, are made, grown, or produced in Illinois.
Information:
Cost: This event, like all the Urbana markets, is free and open to the public.
Dates: The Middle Market will be held January 18th, February 15th, March 15th, and April 19th from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Payment: Most vendors accept cash. A few may take personal check or credit cards, but that is less likely. There is an ATM in Lincoln Square mall in case you run short of cash.
Parking: Parking is available for free in all the lots surrounding Lincoln Square Mall.
For more information about the Middle Market, check out the Urbana Business Association website.
C-U at the Market!
All photos from Facebook.