By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The weekly Rockford Midtown Market is back for its sixth season, bringing a variety of farm produce, food, music, crafts and activities to city’s Midtown District.
The market runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Thursday across the street from Katie’s Cup, 502 Seventh St. Today marked the first event of the season, which runs through Sept. 26.
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There are more than 20 vendors participating each week. Some of this year’s booths include: Angie’s Tamales, ComEd, Designs by Jeff, Diggity Dawg’s & More, Grammy’s Homemade Jams & More, Honey’s Lemonade, Houdeshell Handcrafted Jewelry, University of Illinois Extension, Luxury Love Candles, Mollie’s BooBoo Bags, PaperPie Books, Pearl’s Produce, Quixotic Bakery, Super Patch Company, Takeshi Blessing Asian Cuisine, Mile Square Health Center – L.P. Johnson Rockford, Urban Soil, Yahoshua’s Hometown Knesset, West Rock Farm, La Paloma Hats, Guzman Blings & Things, Aetna Better Health, Dayma Unique Things, Hero Haven and Farm Beta/KZM.
Midtown Market is a program of Katie’s Cup, a nonprofit that works to support the efforts to revitalize Midtown. Its coffee shop and independent book store is on the ground floor of the historic Lantow Building on Seventh Street.
The market started in 2018 with two small events on Saturdays. The next year it grew to 15 weekly market dates on Saturdays. Now it is held over 16 weeks on Thursdays.
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The market also has a program designed to help people who receive SNAP benefits get more fresh produce on their plates.
Rockford Midtown Market has partnered with Link Up Illinois to allow for SNAP benefit recipients to double their purchasing power on farm-fresh produce. If you buy with your Link card, you can get up to $25 of your produce purchase dollars doubled.
Fast facts | Rockford Midtown Market
When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursdays through Sept. 26
Where: Across the street from Katie’s Cup, 502 Seventh St., Rockford (in the Rockford Public Schools parking lot)
Online: rockfordmidtownmarket.com
Contact: rockfordmidtownmarket@gmail.com
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas