The Homewood Indoors Farmers Market is set to begin Saturday, Jan. 31, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Homewood Auditorium, 2010 Chestnut Road.
The market will continue once a month, with the other days set to be Feb. 28, March 28, and April 25.
Market manager Christine Banks said the village anticipates 50 vendors to participate in the indoor season, with 40 vendors attending each market, which is a step up from last year’s 33 vendors.
“I measured every square inch to figure out how we could accommodate more vendors,” Banks said. “I put a little bit of a limitation as to the size of the amount of tables and stuff that each vendor can bring so that we can accommodate as many as possible.”
Banks said the indoor market’s goal is to stay in the village auditorium for all four dates despite future renovation plans to make it easier for vendors and guests.
The village is building off a great 2025 run winning second place for best farmer’s market in Illinois in 2025 and ranked number one in the South Suburbs by the American Farmland Trust.
This year, the village placed a greater emphasis on recruitment, welcoming around a dozen new vendors who will sell a variety of products, including meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and pre-packaged food for on-the-go consumption, as well as vegetarian options.
The biggest new additions to the market include recipe cards provided by the Homewood Historical Society, coloring pages and stickers for children, a shopper reward card to win a free gift, and 2026 Farmers Market calendar magnets.
Along with food vendor additions, there will also be more artisan-based vendors selling things like candles and jewelry.
Banks said they tested the rewards card at the one-day holiday market in December. Attendees who buy from vendors in four categories — food/beverage, artisan, bath and beauty and farmers — would be entered in a raffle.
Changes made for the Indoor Market were that everyone will receive a free gift once the card is turned in to Banks.
Recipes attendees can get from the HHS include cheese and chicken roll ups, yum-yum coffee cake, and wild rice soup. Each recipe will be accompanied by a shopping list of things you can buy in the market.
“These recipes come from a book called ‘What’s Cooking Homewood,’” Banks said. “They only have a couple of copies at the historical society, but it was published in 2003.”
The recipes come from residents who submitted them to HHS years ago, Banks said.
Most vendors are from Illinois, with the furthest, Bennett Farms, coming from Edwardsburg, Michigan. Bennett Farms specializes in meats, poultry, eggs, dairy, and will have three booth spaces with coolers for various products, Banks said.
In the future, Banks said the categories they would like to try and incorporate in the future include a seafood vendor and a knife sharpener so residents can bring their knives and scissors to be touched up.
After the indoor season, the outdoor season will start May 30 and will continue until Oct. 10 and will be open every Saturday except the 4th of July weekend.
More information on the Homewood Farmers market can be found on the official Facebook page.
