Downtown Delavan has a number of notable features and attractions dotting the landscape. The Market at Tower Park, a crowd-pleasing summertime staple, is among them.
The Market is taking place this summer each Thursday, through Sept. 10, at Tower Park, 117 Park Place. The more than 50 artisan craftsmen, local produce growers and area food vendors begin selling at 3 p.m., and live music begins at 5 p.m., through the market’s closing at 7 p.m. each week.
“You can stroll through and see some amazing products,” Malinda Obershaw, executive director of Visit Delavan and the Delavan-Delavan Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, said.
While the Market at Tower Park is a longtime favorite in Delavan, it has grown and evolved over time. Live music, for instance, is one of the newer additions to the event.
Local acts, spanning multiple genres, grace the market each week. Odd Company, Thompson Duo, Tilt Band and Underground Sound are among the groups performing in late July, August and early September.
The Delavan-Darien High School Band Department and Summer Strings group will send the Market off for the season on September 10. They will split time performing for the finale concert. The band will also get everyone excited for the upcoming football season.
“It’s a real cool way to end the season on a positive note,” Obershaw said.
The weekly performances, as it turns out, are also a perfect accompaniment to the rich array of local shops and eateries that adorn Delavan’s historic downtown corridor.
“We get a lot of folks who will stroll through,” Obershaw said. “If they have reservations somewhere downtown, they’ll come down and might have a drink with us first and listen to the music, and then they’ll go have dinner.”
From one week to the next, visitors never know exactly what they will uncover at the Market. Many of the vendors are veterans, but others pop up from time to time. With the growing season well underway, produce vendors have begun selling in recent weeks.
“We have a great selection of bakery items, some offering gluten-free options, which is hard to come by,” Obershaw said. “We also have some folks who bring their own flowers, plants for inside and outside, a soap maker, jewelry makers and people who sell their own custom-made paper goods, such as cards, as well as a young entrepreneur who sells 3D-printed items.”
Summed up, Obershaw likes to describe the Market at Tower Park this way: “We’re handmade, we’re homegrown.”
While the Market at Tower Park is a popular attraction for local residents, it also is an ideal accompaniment for visitors looking for a getaway.
“You’ve got the ambiance of the music playing, the fountains going, and the open-air shopping experience,” Obershaw said. “Come downtown, and stroll your way to the Market. Some of the businesses stay open later on Thursdays because of the Market.”
In addition to the Market at Tower Park, Obershaw encourages visitors to stop and meander Delavan’s vibrant downtown corridor, which has an enduring legacy and is host to a range of disparate locally run merchants and service businesses.
“Consider making it a long weekend,” Obershaw said. “Extend your weekend visit to arrive on Thursday, so you can visit the Market and have this great outdoor venue to walk through. Start your weekend off a little early.”
For many people, the Market at Tower Park is a true labor of love. But Obershaw is quick to point out it also is the net result of the collaboration and generosity that are characteristics of Delavan.
Duesterbeck’s Brewing, which provides two of its custom beers for a beverage tent at each week’s Market, is among this year’s sponsors, alongside the City of Delavan, Culligan and Town Bank.
“We get some pretty amazing sponsors each year,” Obershaw said.
