Tinley Park Farmers Market Lures in Locals with Affordable Family Fun

If you happen to be out walking the dog -- or the kids -- on a summer Saturday morning near the Oak Park Avenue Metra station, you might notice a party going on at Zabrocki Plaza. From June through September, the Tinley Park Farmers Market lures in local families with more than just fresh produce and flowers; the most valuable commodity being sold is FUN!

While parents shop for veggies, kids get their faces painted or bounce in an inflatable castle. Toddlers share snow-cones with the family dog as Dad stands in line for a helping of fresh-popped kennel corn. Neighbors exchange recipes, sample Wisconsin cheeses, and browse the array of talent displayed by local artists and craftsmen.

Chat with an artist who transforms gourds into wildly painted centerpieces and decorative serving bowls, or buy a few postcards from a local photographer whose freelance business has taken her from the streets of Chicago to the hill towns of Tuscany. Buy a handcrafted wooden train set from a grandfather who grew up in Tinley Park, or learn how to make a balloon animal. Don't forget to stock up on local foods, many of which are sold more cheaply at this market than you'll find at neighborhood grocery stores.

Dozens of vendors, some of whom travel from Michigan and other surrounding states to attend each week, sell everything from ripe melons to sweet cherries. Although the bulk of the best produce arrives in July and August, June's raspberries and asparagus make delicious additions to any supper or dessert.

After a morning of shopping, support a local business by grabbing a sundae at Sam and Jake's Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor (across Oak Park Avenue), or get a cup of fresh brewed gourmet coffee or tea at Cavallini's In thePark (inside the train station). If you're looking for a way to spend the rest of the afternoon, trains to downtown Chicago run every hour on Saturdays; weekend passes and family discounts make the ride more affordable than driving.

The Tinley Park Farmers Market runs from 7:00 a.m. till noon every Saturday from June through September at Zabrocki Plaza, right in front of the Oak Park Avenue Metra Station off 173rd Street. Dogs (on leashes) are allowed, and there is plenty of room for baby strollers and wheelchairs.