North Shore Artisan Market expands to Winnetka

The new market will be held on Memorial Day weekend near the Elm Street Metra station.

Mar. 11, 2026 at 6:50am

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Winnetka's Village Council has approved the launch of the North Shore Artisan Market, a new weekend event that will feature over 100 local artisans and small businesses selling food, fashion, home goods, and art. The market is organized by INV Marketing Group, which runs similar events in Chicago neighborhoods and other suburbs.

Why it matters

The new artisan market is expected to attract both residents and visitors to Winnetka, supporting local businesses and activating the public space around the train station. It also kicks off the summer event season in the village, leading into the popular Winnetka Music Festival and Fourth of July celebrations.

The details

The inaugural North Shore Artisan Market will be held on May 30-31 at the Elm Street Metra parking lot in Winnetka. INV Marketing Group, which runs the Chicago Artisan Market and other suburban events, will organize the new Winnetka market. Each market typically features around 100 vendors selling locally made products in categories like food, fashion, home goods, and art.

  • The North Shore Artisan Market will be held on May 30-31, 2026.
  • The Winnetka Farmers Market begins the following week after the artisan market.

The players

INV Marketing Group

The organization behind the Chicago Artisan Market and other suburban artisan markets in the region.

Hannah Lipman

Winnetka's deputy village manager, who presented details about the new artisan market to the Village Council.

Jonathan Smith

The managing partner of INV Marketing Group, which is organizing the North Shore Artisan Market.

Bridget Orsic

A Winnetka Village Trustee who expressed support for the new artisan market.

Bob Dearborn

The Winnetka Village President, who noted the artisan market will lead into other summer events.

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What they’re saying

“Each one of our markets has roughly 100 artisan vendors in the areas of food, fashion, home goods and functional and decorative art. We're not a farmers market and we're not a fine arts market. We showcase artisans and small businesses who design and make things locally, both in the Chicago area and throughout the Midwest.”

— Jonathan Smith, Managing Partner, INV Marketing Group

“Our residents love to have reasons to go outside, congregate, walk around, buy things. And we had people last year at the farmers market come up to the booth and suggest other kinds of markets during the time that the farmers market wasn't in session, so this is awesome.”

— Bridget Orsic, Winnetka Village Trustee

What’s next

The inaugural North Shore Artisan Market in Winnetka is scheduled for May 30-31, 2026.

The takeaway

The new North Shore Artisan Market in Winnetka will provide a fresh community event to kick off the summer, drawing both residents and visitors to support local businesses and artisans. It's part of a growing trend of suburban communities embracing artisan markets as a way to activate public spaces and promote small, local enterprises.