Logan Square Farmers Market moves south ahead of construction project

CHICAGO - The Logan Square Farmers Market is moving a couple of blocks south this year in anticipation of a major construction project around the Centennial Monument.

The popular Sunday market is holding a "dry run" on April 7 at its temporary location on Kedzie Boulevard, between the monument and Fullerton Avenue, organizers announced on social media. 

The market officially opens there five weeks later, on May 12, and runs through the last Sunday of October.

The market will remain on Kedzie, just south of its former spot on Logan Boulevard, until the completion of a two-year construction project in 2026, organizers say.

Organizers wanted to move the market before construction begins this spring to help vendors adjust to the location.

A map of the proposed market location shows vendors setting up on Kedzie. The outer, local lanes remain open to traffic. Barricades reading "local traffic only" will be placed on those lanes and cross streets.

A community meeting about the move will be held at 6 p.m. April 4 at the Hairpin Arts Center, located at 2810 N. Milwaukee Ave.

Construction on the traffic circle and areas around the monument is expected to begin this spring. Years in the making, the traffic circle will be redesigned to increase pedestrian safety. 

The section of Milwaukee Avenue that bisects the park will be routed around the circle. Protected bike lanes will surround the square.

Organizers cited safety concerns and an influx of unauthorized vendors last year when they threatened to shut down the market while it waited for city approval to close Logan Boulevard to car traffic. 

Mayor Brandon Johnson expedited the permit and the market finished the rest of its season.