Oak Forest Farmers Market: How Can It Become a Can't-Miss Event?

As far as yearly seasonal activities go, the Oak Forest Park District's farmers market is practically a newborn as it finishes its third year. But in an area with large, long-standing markets in Tinley Park and Frankfort, Oak Forest's Tuesday event can get overshadowed.

In that time, the weekly event, which runs until Oct. 8, has changed formats each year, looking for that sweet spot where area vendors and residents flock to it because it's the thing to do each week in Oak Forest.

It's a feat easier said than done, said Kirstin Bardusk, a district recreation supervisor who helps organize the event. Community members said they would head over to the Tuesday market more frequently if there was a larger number of vendors, she said. But in a vicious circle, food sellers and artisans are hesitant to set up shop because of the low foot traffic, Bardusk added. 

READ: Check Out Patch's Coverage of the Changing Face of Oak Forest's Farmers Market

So what's the solution?

That's what park district officials want to know, and it's why Commissioner Joe Conway, a driving force behind the farmers market, posed that question to residents in a letter posted to the city's website in August:

What I do know is that many factors go into making and keeping a successful market. … What I can promise you is that I, along with the staff at the park district, will work very hard to replace numerous vendors who have pulled out of our market. I can also promise you that we will work hard to find solutions to some of the issues affecting our market.

For her part, Bardusk would like to see more food vendors better advertising and word of mouth for the market that would position it as the place to stop Tuesdays on your way home from work during the summer. 

READ: Check Out Conway's Full Letter About Improving the Farmers Market

"The vendors we have are such a part of the community," Bardusk said about the market's unique qualities. "They all know everybody. It's a way to bring our community together."

YOUR TURN: How do you think the park district could improve the farmers market? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Patch will collect some of the best of ideas for a future article and pass them along to the park district. You also can email your suggestions to Conway at jconway@oakforest.org.