The last Saturday of October is always busy at Northcenter Town Square. On October 31, 2026, the Northcenter Farmers Market sets up at 4100 N. Damen Ave. for its last day of the season, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Northcenter Chamber of Commerce's Halloween Trick-or-Treat also runs that morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in storefronts and on the square. Tents and costumes will share the square for the same three hours, and then the outdoor season is over.
In past years, that was the end of the market season in North Center. This year it may not be. The usual October closings are still happening, and the neighborhood's December holiday market has been canceled for 2026. But a farmers market that has never been based here plans to open indoors in December, and the building it bought for that purpose sits on Montrose Avenue.
Two Markets, Two Closing Days
North Center has two outdoor markets, and they close three weeks apart.
The Horner Park Farmers Market at 2741 W. Montrose Ave. ends first. The City of Chicago's 2026 farmers market schedule lists it from June 6 through October 10, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. That makes this Saturday its last day.
The Chamber's Town Square market runs three more Saturdays after that: October 17, 24 and 31.
Last winter, North Center residents who wanted a farmers market after October had to leave the neighborhood. Green City Market, the nonprofit that bills itself as Chicago's sustainable farmers market, ran its indoor winter market in Avondale at 3057 N. Rockwell St. A listing on its calendar shows a Saturday market there on March 7, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Here is the fall and winter schedule, using only dates that have been published:
| Market | Location | Schedule | Last or first date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horner Park Farmers Market | 2741 W. Montrose Ave. | 9 a.m.–1 p.m. | Closes October 10 |
| Northcenter Farmers Market | Town Square, 4100 N. Damen Ave. | Saturdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. | Closes October 31 |
| Green City Market, Lincoln Park | 1817 Clark St. | Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7 a.m.–1 p.m. | Closes November 21 |
| Green City Market, West Loop | 900 W. Monroe St. | Saturdays, 8 a.m.–1 p.m. | Closes November 21 |
| Green City Market Homestead | Not yet published | Not yet published | Opens December 2026 |
The last row is the new one.
The December Event That Changed
The market schedule isn't the only thing changing. The North Center Neighbors Association says its board decided "after much thoughtful discussion" not to hold the Holly Jolly Holiday Market in 2026.
Instead, NCNA and the Northcenter Chamber of Commerce are holding a Holiday Tree Lighting in Town Square on Saturday, December 12. Santa will visit, and a Holiday Trolley will connect neighbors with local shopping and seasonal specials. NCNA says more details are coming this fall.
That means Town Square will host a lighting and a trolley in December, but no market with vendor stalls. As of now, a December market in North Center depends on what Green City Market opens on Montrose.
The Garden Center on Montrose
Green City Market closed on the former garden center at 2457 W. Montrose Ave. in December for $899,000, according to a Block Club Chicago report published January 13, 2026. The building is nearly 5,000 square feet, and the back of the property was once a large plant nursery.
The market has 57 vendors selling fruits, vegetables, baked goods, meats, jams and preserves. Everything comes from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
CEO Letisha Steele told Block Club why they wanted the building. "What we're looking for is to be able to have a year-round space that can support our farmers," she said. "We're still navigating what that will look like. It will definitely house our winter farmers market, with the probability that it would be more than one day a week."
A trust set up by the estate of founder Abby Mandel paid for the purchase. The trust covered only the building, so Green City Market started a capital campaign to pay for the buildout.
The plans were practical. Steele said farmers had asked for a walk-in cooler. She also wanted a modular layout so the back of the building could host farmers markets, private events and fundraising dinners. Green City Market was working with organic gardener Jeanne Nolan on the overhaul. WBEZ's January 23 story also described a kitchen for cooking classes. It said the building was expected to open sometime in 2026 and that the market hoped to hold a community event there as early as March.
This address has an earlier history of plans. Before Green City Market bought it, the building was set to become a dog bar with an indoor dog park. That business got a special-use permit but did not open before its lease ran out, and the owners then put the property up for sale. After years of plans that didn't happen, the building has an owner with a clear use for it.
The Horner Park market runs at 2741 W. Montrose and the new building is at 2457 W. Montrose. Both are on the same stretch of the street. For people near Montrose, the farmers market would move a short way down the block and stay open through the winter.
What Has Been Confirmed and What Hasn't
As of today, this is what Green City Market has said publicly.
Its winter market page reads: "The Green City Market Homestead will open for our indoor winter market in December 2026. Please check back for more details." The Parking and Public Transportation sections both say "Coming Soon."
These details are still unconfirmed:
- The address. The page names the Homestead but doesn't give an address. The Montrose building is the market's announced year-round home and future winter market, so it is the likely location. Green City Market has not said so on that page.
- The day and hours. No opening date in December, weekly schedule or hours have been posted. Steele said in January the market could run more than one day a week. That was a possibility, not a schedule.
- The buildout. The walk-in cooler, kitchen and modular layout come from January interviews. No later report confirms they were finished, and none confirms that the spring pop-ups or March event happened.
One detail is already set, since it applies at all of Green City Market's markets. It accepts Link, also known as SNAP or EBT, and triple-matches it up to $25.
The December 2026 opening is an announced plan. If it happens, this will be the first winter that North Center has its own farmers market instead of sending shoppers to Avondale.
The Weeks Between
There is still a gap between the last outdoor market and the first indoor one. From November 1 until the Homestead opens, the closest farmer-run markets are Green City Market's outdoor markets at 1817 Clark St. in Lincoln Park and 900 W. Monroe St. in the West Loop. Both run through November 21.
October still has plenty on the calendar before then:
- October 10. Horner Park Farmers Market's last day, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The same day, Begyle Brewing and Dovetail Brewery hold their Oktoberfestiversary in the Ravenswood Corridor, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. It continues October 11 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Entrances are at 1800 W. Cuyler, 4114 N. Ravenswood and 1820 W. Belle Plaine.
- October 17. The Town Square market runs in the morning. That night at 9 p.m., Timber Lanes at 1851 W. Irving Park Rd. hosts a Big Lebowski Costume Party & Concert, with a $20 ticket and a costume contest.
- October 31. The Town Square market's last day, plus the Chamber's Trick-or-Treat from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- November 4 and December 2. The Horner Park Advisory Council meets at the Horner Park Field House, 2741 W. Montrose Ave., from 7 to 8 p.m. These are the next public meetings in the same block as the Montrose market.
- December 12. The Holiday Tree Lighting and Holiday Trolley in Town Square.
Green City Market's winter page is where the Homestead's address, opening day and hours will be posted first. As of October 7, those details have not been posted.
A new year-round market on Montrose could change how buyers see the blocks near Horner Park. If you own near the 2400 to 2700 blocks of Montrose and are thinking about 2027, Millie Rosenbloom can show you what that change could mean for your home's value. Get a Free Home Valuation and start with the numbers.
