Elgin ReStore makes room for winter market

Vendors who have been selling their wares all winter from downtown Elgin’s Haight Warehouse now will set up on Saturdays in the Habitat for Humanity of the Northern Fox Valley ReStore as the Elgin Winter Market gets a new home.

The partnership is expected to boost the transactions for both organizations and turn the Elgin Winter Market into a year-round venture.

“We have built-in traffic here that I think the winter market can benefit from, and the winter market brings a whole other demographic that certainly ReStore can benefit from,” ReStore Director Deanna Davies said. “We think it’s a win-win situation.”

Davies said ReStore already had been looking to open up a larger sales area and freshen up the 40,000-square-foot space when the potential collaboration came up. Volunteers and some people from the city’s community restitution program helped move shelves and create space that is filled Wednesday through Friday with ReStore items and Saturday by vendors.

The back processing area was shrunk to accommodate the extra sales space, but operations manager Shane Spooner said even though that makes more work for volunteers and ReStore employees, it’s good for customers.

“It forces us to get things out faster,” Spooner said.

The ReStore is almost entirely run by volunteers and always is looking for more people, especially as it dives into this latest venture.

Market organizer Anthony Pedote said moving into ReStore means more vendors will be able to get involved, and they can even spread outside into the massive parking lot when the weather improves.

“We’re looking at long-range and year-round,” Pedote said, adding the inside option will be useful during summer storms or extreme heat. “Weather is never going to affect us having a farmers market.”

Already vendors are selling locally made food and local produce, meats, breads and canned items. Elgin area artists and artisans are selling their products, and new vendors show interest all the time.

ReStore is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday to Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, with the Winter Market adding its own hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.