The Mount Prospect Farmers Market, run every Sunday morning by the Mount Prospect Lions Club in one of the train station parking lots, carried on in a slightly-diminished manner during 2020.
Prior to opening for the 2020 season, the four-person committee that coordinates the local staple consulted with the Village and the Illinois Environmental Health Department; visited other local Farmers Markets to see how they were conducting their markets; and studied the CDC guidelines so they could relay them to the vendors.
“Since we had to social distance, our vendor space was limited and we wanted to have enough room for parking, as well. Fortunately, some vendors decided not to participate. Overall, I don’t think business was down, but attendance may have been,” said Fred Steinmiller, chairman.
“It was a big adjustment,” he continued. “For instance, we needed additional Lions to monitor all the exits and entrances, armed with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. And finding people willing to work on Sunday mornings is tough.”
For the most part, according to Steinmiller, the public accepted the restrictions and followed the guidelines. He said that residents and guests were generally very appreciative of the MP Lions’ efforts, although they did receive some pushback from shoppers on the mask mandate.
“But we reminded them that this was a guideline set by the CDC and since we were operating on Village property, we had to comply,” he added.
During the 2021 season the Lions hope to gradually add more vendors and maybe some special events. The Sister Cities Commission also hopes to bring back their French Market one Sunday in September, but social distancing requirements, if they persist, might make that impossible.
Photo credits; William Wille