A Guide to the Logan Square Farmers Market Drama | Eater Chicago

"A long-running, hyperpopular Sunday summer bazaar frequented by Chicagoans picking out stone fruit, dodging oversized strollers, and watching dogs socialize, this market draws as many as 15,000 visitors per weekend and serves both retail shoppers and restaurants buying produce or selling prepared goods like sandwiches and pastries. Organizers, led by Nilda Esparza, briefly canceled the market for the first time in its 16-year history amid safety and congestion concerns and complaints about unlicensed “renegade” vendors setting up nearby and undercutting paid sellers. Vendors warned that a cancellation would waste perishable produce and hurt their livelihoods; 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and 1st Ward Ald. Daniel La Spata publicly urged a resolution. Esparza had proposed closing Logan Boulevard between Whipple and Sacramento to control crowds but the city denied that plan; organizers later announced a last-minute solution to reinstate the Sunday market while promising traffic-curbing measures, though the details remain unclear." - Naomi Waxman