Mascoutah Farmers Market Returns with New Location and Fresh Opportunities

By Zachary Daum
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A long-awaited revival is coming to Mascoutah as a new farmers market is set to begin this year, providing local vendors and shoppers a fresh opportunity to connect. Organized by Kelly Casey, the market will be held at the Mascoutah Sportsmen’s Club, located at 1535 N County Rd, Mascoutah, IL 62258. The market will take place on the third Sunday of each month from June through November, except for its first event on April 27 , which would have originally been held on Easter, the 20th and repairs to the Sportsmen’s Club in May will prevent it from taking place that month.

Casey, a local small business owner, was inspired to start the market after discussing the idea with Kim Jones, who was involved with Mascoutah’s previous farmers market. “I do a lot of vendor events, and I’ve met a lot of people who have their own businesses. Kim mentioned that there used to be a farmers market here, and I kind of looked into it, found the people who had done it before, and found out why they were unable to continue,” Casey explained.

According to Jones, the previous market struggled due to a lack of city support and insurance requirements that made it impossible to continue. “We were set up across the street from the police station. It was full sun, on the main road, no seating… We wanted to set up at the park, but when we tried to work with the city, we got no response. When we finally did, we were told we’d need to buy our own insurance policy for something like a million dollars,” Jones recalled. With increasing vendor losses to other markets, the effort ultimately couldn’t be sustained.

Determined to overcome these past obstacles, Casey secured the support of the Mascoutah Sportsmen’s Club. “The problem they had before was the city wanted them to have a pretty large insurance policy to be able to have it on city property. I’m a member of the Sportsmen’s Club, so I spoke to them at one of the meetings, and they agreed to host it,” she said.

The response from vendors has been strong, with over 50 applications received so far. Casey is prioritizing local vendors and ensuring a diverse selection. “I’m only going to have so many of each vendor. We don’t want to have ten people with cups,” she explained. “I can fit 50 vendors inside the Sportsmen’s Club, and there’s also space outside.”

Despite the positive reception from vendors, Casey emphasized that the market’s success will depend on the support of local shoppers. “The shoppers will make or break it. I can get all the vendors in the world, but if we don’t have people there shopping, it won’t work out,” she said. “Historically, from what I’ve seen, Mascoutah shows up, they spend their money, and they’re pretty good people around here. So I’m hoping for a good turnout.”

To raise awareness, Casey plans to utilize Facebook, place flyers in local businesses, and put up signs throughout town, including along Route 158 near the Sportsmen’s Club. “We’re still kind of far out, but when it gets closer, I’ll have flyers up everywhere,” she said.

The first market event will take place on April 27, with regular markets running every third Sunday from June through November. If successful, Casey hopes to establish a stable, long-term market that will return annually from April through October in future years.