Brittany Robbins of Aurora took a stroll through the market on Saturday morning, collecting last-minute items and bidding farewell to vendors she frequented over the summer. As the Aurora Farmers Market concluded for the season, Robbins expressed her regret. ‘I’m always sad when the farmers market season ends,’ she remarked, while making her final purchases at the market located at 65 S. Water St. in downtown Aurora. ‘We’re totally sad. It’s been a place to take the kids, and we love to come here,’ she added. ‘We’re here to get some hummus dip from my favorite little shop and some coffee for mom. We’ve been coming for a couple of years. We always get hummus, always some vegetables, and my husband enjoys the live music.’
This Saturday marked the end of the 115th year for the state’s longest-running farmers market, which attracted crowds throughout the late spring and summer. The market featured over 80 vendors offering food products and services. Felicia Freitag, the farmers market manager, described the season as successful. ‘We had a good season. It went very well, and we’ve noticed an increase in traffic which has been great. Although visitor numbers decrease as the season progresses, the recent figures surpassed those from the last few years during the same period,’ she explained. ‘It’s been great and I think the community appreciates all the activities we host as well. It’s been a great season.’
Freitag mentioned that next season might introduce changes, such as utilizing the whole parking lot at the site. ‘We might see a return of a farmer that we’ve had in the past. We’re looking to get a large-scale farmer back and that’s something that we’re looking forward to because that has been one of our biggest feedback points – people want more produce,’ she noted.
The closing featured a fall celebration with activities like mini-pumpkins for children to decorate, a small petting zoo, and vendor trick-or-treating. Brittany Robbins, her husband Steve, and their children, attended the market on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Steve Robbins
Steve viewed the market as something he enjoyed for its outdoor setting. ‘It’s the best part of this, getting outside and seeing all the different vendors we encounter. It’s really cool to see all of them,’ said Steve.
Jeannie Norris, another Aurora resident, shared similar sentiments about the season’s end. ‘I wish it would go until the end of October at least,’ she commented while sampling cheese from a vendor. ‘After all these years, I like seeing people I know, friends of mine, and I like seeing people I don’t really know but I’m familiar with them from their being here all the time.’
Nancy Sawyer, who lives in Aurora Township, reminisced about the market’s previous location at the Metra train station. ‘I like that I can still get fresh, somewhat local produce,’ she mentioned. ‘Next week, I might have to find some farmstands that are outside the city. I’m trying to avoid the grocery stores.’ Sawyer had her basket filled with jalapeno peppers, admitting it was more than she needed. ‘It’s $5 a box, so I took them,’ she explained. ‘I’m going to make jalapeno poppers and salsa.’
Doug Harrington, another Aurora resident, said he has attended the market for at least 20 years. ‘I think this has lasted for more than a century because of the vendors. They have good products,’ he commented about Aurora’s long-running market. ‘I bought some honey, and I usually buy fresh fruits, vegetables, some breads – they are pretty tasty – and cheese. You can’t go wrong with them.’
Harrington also spoke about preparing for next week without the market. ‘I’m going to have to go and stock up,’ he said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
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