Now Open for the 2008 Season!

2008-05-02T11:52:00.000-07:00

The Dundee Township Visitor's Center (a.k.a. The Depot) is now open weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. We're also open Fridays in June and July.

Come on Down!
Farmer's Market
Our Farmer's Market is now open! Visit us on Saturdays from
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the depot grounds and watch this space for news on upcoming special events, including the largest tomato contest.

Lunch in the Park
Come enjoy some live music and lunch the first Wednesday of June, July, and August from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Come early for free desserts and free raffle prizes. Inexpensive box lunches are provided by local restaurants. Great for young and old alike, pull up a chair in the shade or bring your own blankets/chairs and soak up the summer sunshine.

River Street Art Fair and Wine Tasting
Slated for Sunday, September 14th, this year's Art and Wine festival will be bigger and better. The all-day event fills downtown East Dundee with fine artists and crafters, plus there's great food and wine under the tent at the depot. Contact Gail Hess at 847-426-2822 ext. 1 for information. Artists should contact Claudia Kirmsee at Artistic Bits.

More About the Farmer's Market
The Dundee Farmer's Market is held 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday May through October. We typically get around 40 vendors each week selling locally grown veggies (in season), flowers, and bedding plants, plus antiques and collectibles. New vendors are always welcome -- call (847) 742-3432 for booth information.

Last year, our closing day for the market included the annual Great Pumpkin contest.
Check out the Great Pumpkins

We also had our annual tomato contest!
Check out the HUMONGOUS Tomatoes

And check out Herb singing the infamous banana song! You know it's going to be a good day when there are bananas to be had at the depot.

But wait! There's more! Our own resident cowboy David Carter (yes, he's available for hire!) of Hat Creek Enterprises, gave an impromptu poetry recital. Little did he know he'd end up on you tube! It's just one of the many value-added services we offer our market vendors. Check out David's site and definitely try his BBQ sauce, it's fabulous. It contains none of that wussy high fructose corn syrup either! Just spices, fire and a whole lotta love.

Great Pumpkins!

9th-Annual Pumpkin Contest Almost Goes to the Dogs
[Oct. 27, 2007, East Dundee, IL]

OK, not really, but we did have a dog enter...and win second prize! Twelve-year-old Sharky Mahoney won second prize in the kids' decorated pumpkin category -- not bad considering he doesn't have thumbs.

This was the 9th year for our annual Great Pumpkin contest, which marks the end of the season for our Dundee Farmer's Market. Area businesses donated over $1,500 in prizes that went to winners in three categories: heaviest, best decorated/carved, and best decorated/carved kids 12 and under.

Here are this year's winners!

Third Place: Stephanie Domagalski, (seated with painted pumpkin), $100 in prizes; Second Place: Mike Cuniff (tatooed pumpkin), $200 in prizes; First Place, Joann Scott (bucket head), $300 in prizes.

First place winner in the kids' category was Natalie with her tigger pumpkin. Second place went to Sharky the dog (not pictured) for his barfing pumpkin. There were no other kids' entries.

The mother-daughter team of Nicole and Jennifer Liebman took first and second place with their 78- and 71-pound gourds (a total of $500 in prizes!). Susan Bird came in a distant but enthusiastic third with her 45-pound entry, which won her $100 in prizes.

Thanks to all who joined in the fun, and special thanks to the generous businesses that donated prizes: Old Country Buffet, Piece-A-Cake Bakery, Spring Hill Mall, Dundee Landscape and Nursery, Classic Cinemas, Olive Garden, Manor Restaurant, Phil Aleo, Dairy Queen, Red Lobster, Denny's, Liberty Lanes, and One Cut Above the Rest.

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Big Humongous Tomatoes

Bring Your Own Bacon
10th-Annual Tomato Contest Has Record Entries

[August 18, 2007, East Dundee, IL] It’s been a good year for tomatoes in Dundee Township, at least judging by the turnout for this year’s largest tomato contest held Saturday at the Dundee Township Visitor’s Center.

There were 34 entries of all shapes, sizes, colors and ripeness ranging from a tiny grape tomato to giant love apples that resembled misshapen playground balls. Fortunately, beauty was not a factor in judging, said event organizer and visitor’s center board member Bill Zelsdorf of Carpentersville.

Glenda Christie of Carpentersville took first place with a Big Zack tomato that weighed in at two pounds, two and three eighths ounces. She took home $400 in gift certificates from area businesses, including $95 in Old Country Buffet meal passes, Classic Cinemas movie passes, and a $50 savings bond from Cardunal Savings Bank.

“This was actually my first year gardening,” Christie said, “my husband always did it, but he’s been ill, so I took over.” Christie said she didn’t do anything special with her winning entry other than water it and watch it grow. “Something did take a bite out of it just before I picked it, so we were a little worried,” she added.

Norm Thomas of East Dundee was a close second with his Super Steak tomato, which weighed two pounds, one and one quarter ounces. He won $275 worth of gift certificates, including $50 to Dundee Landscape Nursery, 12 games of bowling at Liberty Lanes, and $78 in passes from Old Country Buffet.

Mike Bateman of East Dundee took third place and $150 in prizes for his two-pound five eighths-ounce entry, and Audrey Kellner of West Dundee won $100 in prizes with her two-pound one-quarter-ounce tomato.

“I was pleasantly surprised at the number of entries,” Zelsdorf said. “This year we had the most entries and also the most prizes donated too.”

Here are all of our winners. Shown here from left are event organizer Bill Zelsdorf with winners Glenda Christie, Norm Thomas, Mike Bateman and our youngest competitor Audrey Kellner. Congrats to our winners!

Other donations for the 10th-annual contest came from One Cut Above the Rest salon, Piece-A-Cake Bakery, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Spring Hill Mall, Jewel Food Store, Denny’s, Dairy Queen, and Manor Restaurant.

The Visitor’s Center will host its Great Pumpkin contest in October, with prizes for heaviest pumpkin and best decorated pumpkin. Watch this space for details!

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In Case You Were Wondering...

2007-04-14T13:51:00.000-07:00

About the Depot
Situated right next to the Fox River Bike Trail, the Depot is a popular rest stop for bike trail users in need of snacks, beverages or a water bottle fill up. We also sell Dundee-themed merchandise, including our "Bike Me" trail shirts, and we've got plenty of area information about restaurants, attractions and the 60-mile bike trail.

While Supplies Last!

Get your own limited edition shirt now while they last. Available in safety green (shown here), safety orange, kiwi, khaki, natural, light blue, and goldenrod in a variety of sizes while supplies last. Just $10!! Makes a great gift!

Area Info

2007-04-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Our communities offer a wealth of "shoportunities" ranging from Spring Hill Mall to unique little downtown shops featuring antiques, collectibles and art. Enjoy gourmet coffee, fresh baked goods and other treats while you browse our walkable and historic downtowns! Click here for just a few of the places you’ll want to stop.

Piece-A-Cake Bakery -- calories don't count if you're on a bike!

The Fox River Bike Trail in spring, summer and fall...the scenery is always changing!

Deer crossing!

Here's a sight you don't often see on the bike trail.