Dundee Depot, farmers markets open this weekend
Ask Karen Blair if the construction equipment and mounds of soil will be gone from the visitors' center in East Dundee when the annual Dundee Depot Market opens on Saturday, May 9, and the farmers market opens on Sunday, May 10, and she'll reply, "Bottom line, maybe."
Then ask depot market coordinator Bill Zelsdorf if the construction debris will keep customers and vendors away from the opening for its 26th year on Saturday, and he'll say, "No way. We've gotten through worse."
Blair, East Dundee's marketing coordinator, said pretty much the same for the Sunday market.
The surrounding area may be a little messy, both said, but, compared to the rain, wind, and heat that vendors have contended with during the summer and fall, a little dirt won't be a problem. The end loaders, ditches and soil piles will eventually make the selling area bigger and more attractive.
They are there now so construction crews can install streetlights and curbs for adjacent parking lots. By the end of summer, they will be gone and every Saturday and Sunday, from Mother's Day to Halloween, the 40-plus farmers, crafters, and memorabilia collectors, will have plenty of room to sell their goods. Shoppers will also have an abundance of spaces to park their cars.
To help everyone get past the mess, special events have been planned for Saturday, including National Train Day and the grand opening of the Dundee Depot Dogs hot dog stand. The business is operated out of a red train caboose, just south of the visitors' center property along North River Street.
Business owner and train buff Jim Stanula will cut the ribbon to his business, and then train rides will be offered to children 10 years old and younger.
"We'll have conductor hats and kids meals and other specials for the entire family," he said. "National Train Day is a great way to celebrate the area's history of trains."
The national railway company, Amtrak, started National Train Day in 2008 to educate people about the rich history of rail service in the United States.
To celebrate it in Dundee Township, first we need a local history lesson.
For decades, passenger and freight trains rolled through East Dundee to carry residents, lumber and coal up and down the Fox Valley. Years after the trains stopped, Kane County officials pulled up the tracks and replaced them with a bike path. More than 20 years ago, the Dundee Depot was rebuilt, and village leaders turned it into the Dundee Township Visitors' Center.
That center is now a hub for many yearlong Discover Dundee activities, including the markets that will be held on Saturday and Sunday. The construction equipment that surrounds the center is just another example of how East Dundee village board members are rebuilding the North River Street business district, Blair said.
The Saturday market attracts a wide range of people selling everything from old record albums to furniture.
"We allow them to sell everything but pets, weapons, and drugs," said Connie Kaschub, assistant depot market coordinator. "I've already talked to vendors who are excited to get started this year.
"The surrounding construction will not be a problem."
The Saturday market runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about it, call Zelsdorf at (847) 426-4307.
The Sunday market is just for farmers to sell their fruits and vegetables. It runs from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. For details about it, call Blair at (224) 293-7101.