Favorite Farmers Markets in Porter County, Indiana

The summer of 2009 will mark the seventh year for Chesterton's European Market. This farmers' market offers a variety of goods, from bakery fresh breads and pastries, to assorted hard and soft cheeses, to home-grown produce and flowers and even locally-made apparel and jewelry. The vendors, who come from Indiana, Michigan and Illinois, are friendly and helpful; the atmosphere is very home-town-main-street; and the location is ideal for a casual stroll through the park or down Broadway after you're finished perusing the market. There is live music (love that smooth jazz!) performed in the park during the market, giving opportunity for local artists to gain exposure. The downtown area offers quaint shops and boutiques, as well as local art galleries, to enhance your Saturday outing. I have been there on several occasions and it feels as if you are transported back in time when things were much simpler....the clip-clop of the horse-drawn hayrides adds to the back-in-time feeling. It is an all-around feel-good, relaxing experience, and I cannot think of a better way to spend a leisurely weekend morning. The European Market is open Saturdays, 8:00-2:00, beginning in late May until late October. You can find the market in historic downtown Chesterton, Indiana, on the corner of Broadway and Third Street, next to Thomas Centennial Park.

Nearby Portage, Indiana, is in the planning stages of offering their first Farmers' Market this summer as well. If all goes according to plan, the market will take place in the downtown Veteran's Memorial Park, and will take place on Sunday afternoons. This will be an excellent opportunity for this community to showcase its local artisans as well.