Cool summer means longer Palatine farmers market

It may have been one of the wettest and coolest summers in recent memory, but those conditions have prolonged the season for fresh produce, and thus Palatine's farmers market.

The weekly gathering from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays at the station parking lot will run through Halloween.

In addition to the plentiful produce, fall decorating tools will be available, including pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn and corn stalks. Almost every week will also feature a local organization.

On Sept. 18, the Prairie Woods Audubon Society provides information on birds, wildlife, protected prairie lands and birdseed. On Sept. 26, Alexian Brothers returns for a follow-up free blood pressure and fat analysis screening.

On Oct. 10, St. Michael's has New Orleans-style red beans and rice packets, Tabasco and Southern recipes. Proceeds from sales benefit Hurricane Katrina victims and volunteers who continue rebuilding New Orleans. On Oct. 17, Northwest Circle of Friends sells the cookbook "A Wagonload of Goodies" to benefit the local Children's Advocacy Center and the Palatine Food Pantry.

On Oct. 24, Sister Cities International's Palatine members walk with their counterparts in Fontenay-le-Comte and other cities worldwide. And on Halloween, the farmers market offers trick-or-treating and games.