Mount Prospect farmers market opening June 7 with restrictions

The Mount Prospect Lions Club's Farmers Market, a staple of summer Sundays in the village, will open June 7 in a scaled-down version as a result of the pandemic.

Only food items will be offered initially, though club leaders hope additional vendors could be added as the event's 23rd annual season progresses, if pandemic-related restrictions ease.

Masks will be required for both vendors and visitors, and food may be prepackaged to limit contact, according to the village. Shoppers are asked to limit visits by coming to the market alone if possible, not congregating or using the market to socialize, and leaving dogs at home.

The market will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays through the end of October in the downtown Metra parking lot just east of Emerson Street. Those who visit the first Sunday will receive a free geranium, said event Chairman Fred Steinmiller.

"Mount Prospect's Public Works Department had ordered (geraniums) to distribute during their annual Public Works Day event, which had to be canceled. So, they have given them to us to distribute," he said.

Profits from the summertime market support the village's food pantry and other local organizations. For more information, visit www.mplions.org.