The Winter Market on Main in downtown Skokie launched for the 2026 season on Sunday, Jan. 11 with more than 40 vendors and a lot of excitement over the Chicago Bears’ win the night before.
Shoppers had plenty of choices, including eggs, farm fresh meats, fresh herbs, apples, potatoes, microgreens, fresh pasta, baked goods, gluten-free items, honey, fresh peanut butter, mushrooms, oils and spices, soup varieties, macaroni and cheese, tamales, dog treats, kettle corn and cheese choices plus more.
“Skokie’s excited about it and we have a lot of new vendors this season and we expanded,” said Jennifer Engel, Skokie Farmers Market manager for the Village of Skokie, indicating 18 winter vendors were added this year.
Over the eight winter market Sundays, between 8,000 to 9,000 people are expected to attend, with possibly more, judging from opening day turnout, organizers noted.
Shoppers can visit with vendors inside and outside of The Storefront (4051 Main St.), as well as inside and outside of Soul Good Coffee (4022 Main St.).
At this Sunday’s market, people were able to get their knives sharpened by vendor Get Sharp, and will be able to do so at market dates only through February.
The Winter Market on Main is a “Producers Only Market,” which means everything purchased is grown or produced directly by the vendor one is purchasing from.
Many people showed up wearing warm Chicago Bears attire after Saturday night’s stunning win over the Green Bay Packers.
This included David Hayes of Skokie, who performed on acoustic guitar outside with Bears hat and scarf, except, as a strumming musician, he could not wear Chicago Bears mittens or gloves.
In the 33-degree weather, “My fingertips are frozen right now,” Hayes said with a laugh.
Chicago Bears fans were abundant at the market including Ralph Petrella of Evanston at the Winter Market on Main on Jan. 11, 2026. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
What brought patrons out to shop in the cold?
“It’s fun,” to eat outside with college and high school friends, said Katie Wiemeler of Park Ridge, who noshed seated outdoors with pals Shea O’Sullivan of Park Ridge and Ellen Phillips of Mexico, Missouri. O’Sullivan and Wiemeler are of the Maine South High School Class of 2000.
“It’s fun,” to eat outside with college and high school friends, said Katie Wiemeler. From left to right, pals noshing on freshly made food are Shea O’Sullivan of Park Ridge, Katie Wiemeler of Park Ridge and Ellen Phillips of Mexico, Missouri. O’Sullivan and Wiemeler are of the Maine South High School Class of 2000. Seen at the Winter Market on Main in Skokie on Jan. 11, 2026. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
Chad and Vera Flores of Skokie made s’mores, which were offered for free, with their children, and came to get food such as custom ice cream which, of course, stays cold on the way home during winter.
“We’re really excited to support the local vendors and our neighborhood,” Vera Flores said, adding they’re big fans of the Ice Cream Girl, who is vendor Sarah Cochran of Chicago’s Avondale meighborhood.
From left, Chad and Vera Flores of Skokie make s’mores, which were free, with their children at the Winter Market on Main in Skokie on Jan. 11, 2026. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“You can’t get her in a grocery store and she makes the most phenomenal flavors of ice cream,” Flores said about Cochran.
Cochran said, “I only sell by the pint size so I do pretty well because everyone is going to take it home and eat there.”
Buying those coveted fresh eggs from a Michigan vendor was Janice Linkowski of Wilmette.
The Ice Cream Girl, selling out of custom flavors, is Sarah Cochran of Chicago’s Avondale at the Winter Market on Main in Skokie on Jan. 11, 2026. (Karie Angell Luc/Pioneer Press)
“I’m a farmers market junkie,” Linkowski said with a smile.
The Winter Market on Main runs from 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, Feb. 1, Feb. 22, March 15, March 29, April 12 and April 26.
