Have ya heard? It’s hot outside! Advice: Get to the Market 
early to beat the heat.
Plenty of corn from Kleiss at the Market this week. Keep an eye on that weather forecast, though — some of the farmers are feeling the pinch of hot temperatures and no rain and we might be able to notice it at local markets in a week or two if trends continue.
Market-goers will also see lettuces, chard, arugula, kohlrabi, mixed greens, spinach, green onions, broccoli, carrots, radishes, turnips, fresh and cured garlic (wonderful in pesto), potatoes, gooseberries, raspberries, currants, blueberries, zucchini, hydroponic tomatoes and cucumbers, and summer squash. The fresh-cut herbs are also amazing. You’ll be able to snag soil-grown tomatoes and cucumbers, too. The Market’s vendors will also be serving up farm-raised meats, eggs, honey, goat cheese, goat milk gelato (they offer samples), scratch-made baked goods, and homemade jams and jellies. Cut flowers, hanging baskets, and bedding plants are also being sold.
Photography, textiles, stuff for your dog or cat, jewelry, upcycled clothing, derby stuff for your derby girl, soap, candles, trinkets and doo-dads and whimsy … the Market will have all these and more on Saturday. It’s a lot to take in, but you guys can do it.
ONCE AGAIN: The City tent, where you can swipe your credit, debit, or LINK card for tokens to spend in the Market (don’t worry, everyone still accepts cash), is now located in the intersection of Walnut and High Streets — that’s the corner by Health Alliance, near the northwest entrance to the Market. They sell Market swag, too, like T-shirts and tote bags. As a result of this new location, there’ll no longer be through traffic there during Market hours to keep things safe for folks traveling on foot between the Market and various Lincoln Square businesses. The parking situation remains the same, too, with the same number of free public parking spaces available in Lincoln Square and south of Lincoln Square. Plenty of bike parking, too, for the two-wheel set.
THIS WEEK’S MARKET WEATHER FORECAST: Partly sunny with a 7:00 a.m. start temperature in the high 70s — maybe even 80 — and a noon temperature approaching 90+ degrees if it’s not there already. It will be hot, and you should avail yourselves of the Market’s beverage tent. There are a million places on the internet to look at the weather, but you can click here for a forecast. Repeat: IT WILL BE HOT, probably the hottest Market so far.
PAY A VISIT TO: The Urbana Free Library and the Urbana Business Association will be co-locating with the City tent this weekend at the NW entrance. Find out what’s going on with the Sweetcorn Festival or get a UFL balloon. Both organizations set up camp at the Market on the first Saturday of the month.
YOUR TASKS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S VISIT: Snag a Buy Fresh Buy Local Central Illinois guide from the City tent. It’s an awesome resource if you’re hungry somewhere that’s nearby, but isn’t C-U and you don’t know where anything is. Sample the peach sorbetto from Prairie Fruits Farm; bring some home. Buy some corn. Locate some heirloom tomatoes. Search for plums.
THIS WEEK’S MARKET TIP: Travel light to the Market — the more stuff you bring, the better chance it has of ending up in the Market’s Lost & Found (they have one at the City tent, so if you or someone you know left something at a booth or dropped something, that’s a good place to check).
Have questions? Desire more information? Check out the Market’s home on the web. Follow them on Facebook. Follow their Twitter and Pinterest feeds. You can also email the Market’s director, Lisa Bralts, or call her at (217) 384-2319.
Market #10 starts at 7 a.m. on Saturday and runs until noon. See you there!