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The Dispatch wrote
Two farmer’s markets to sprout Downtown
Monday, June 2, 2008
BY MONIQUE CURET
The annual Pearl Alley farmers’ market opens Tuesday, but with a different group of farmers and an expanded lineup of items for sale.
The farmers’ group that pioneered the Downtown warm-weather market is setting up shop elsewhere because of a disagreement with the market’s sponsors. Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District, which holds the permit for the market, and the farmers’ group could not agree on the location of produce and general-merchandise booths and parted ways late last year.
The market, which is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays through Oct. 31, also will feature 34 merchants selling nonfood items.
Related Stories:
- Farmers’ markets are gearing up for summer season
- Main Street Farmers Market – June through October
I recall going to this last year and it being a bit lame… That said, I’m actually in town tomorrow and wouldn’t mind going there early lunch (meet at el arepazo around 11:30a?) and checking it out.
Post here if interested.
I recall being a vendor last year and it being a bit lame…
I probably won’t be selling there this year, however I hope that the changes are for the better and that this season, customers are actually interested in making purchases from the vendors instead of just looking and touching and asking weird questions. :lol:
Being a Rhodes Tower worker I attended this market every week and also recall it being a bit lame. I still argue that there should be a big market on the Statehouse lawn. I mean, what sense would it make to put a market showcasing Ohio’s primary industry of farming at the doorstep of the capital building? You know, right out in the open where everyone can enjoy it? I’m stupid I know. Instead lets have lots of ity bitty markets offering minimal bang for the buck competing with each other blocks apart. Hooray for competition culture!
Sorry, feeling a bit snarky this morning.
I’m headed down today to check it out. I’ll report back on “lameness-levels” but I don’t expect there to be a whole lot of produce offerings this early in the season.
I’m going to walk down there in a few minutes. If they’ve got some solid farmers then it should be good. Even this early in the season there’s a lot of choice to be had if people are growing. Between our CSA produce and what we’ve got growing in our garden we’re already doing pretty good. Maybe I’ll see you down there.
Ok, so I was just down there and got a photo op with Mayor Coleman. Here’s some pics (more are uploading as I type from my BB).
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elephantsonbicycles/2548660742/
Interesting fact was that the city is claiming $110M in lost revenue due to lack of retail investment downtown (I’m not disbuting this). Many of the Mayor’s talking points were exactly like the things I mentioned in a study I put together for the city about 1 year ago which I was flattered by (not that I got credit and, well, I didn’t tell them anything revolutionary but some of those things seem to be happening now). Here’s the link to that if you’re interested:
http://elephantsonbicycles.com/?p=24
Anyhow, didn’t see Walker there but I did bump into Dan Williamson doing his new job and got a photo with Mayor Mike which is nice. I’m impressed by the size of this market although it is still heavy on trinket stuff and not so heavy on actual farmers which I think is a problem. Seems like it would be better to have the market towards the end of the day so it is easier for people to get their produce and go home with it instead of having to store it for the rest of the day but maybe that isn’t an issue for people as much as it can be for me.
Just got back. Ran into a few friends and had a good time. Got some samosas and a chai, a pint of maple syrup from Fredricktown and some coffee from Global Gallery. There were more stands this year than I ever remember there being last year. There were probably eight or nine vegetable stands, many with the nicest strawberries I’ve seen this year. In addition to the bluegrass band, El Arepazo had a latin band playing out front. It is a bit odd that most people are on lunch break and have to go back to work hince the lack of buying, but always happy to have a midweek market. Still have a ways to catch up with Portobello, Dane County or Sunset Valley.
I didn’t make it because I’m lame.
I went a bit later on. Met up with Anne around 12:30. We strolled through. Did seem like a lot more vendors than last year, and the crowd was pretty thick. I was impressed.
We didn’t pick anything up today as the weather was starting to turn sour and we ducked into Sushi by Yu right before it started dumping. Hooray for rain.
Will head back on Thursday with some purchases in mind. :D
Tomatoes and strawberries were delicious. Lots of other things looked great, too. I went probably 10 times last year, since my office is right down the alley, and always had a wonderful time.
Never considered this “lame.” Aren’t things like a Downtown farmers’ market good for, you know, the Downtown everyone on this board always chirps about?
And Walker, this is the closest Columbus has come to the United Socialist Mixed-Use New Urbanism Hippie Commune of Benetton you envision for City Center!
You’ll love it the most!
Will head back on Thursday with some purchases in mind. :D
You mean Friday, right? I’ve been out of town and missed the opening. I really like this market – it’s just a block from my office, and bringing stuff back isn’t an issue for me. Love to go during my lunch break. I didn’t ever find it “lame” – and I really got to know the vendors who set up there, so much that one woman held aside some berries for me when I didn’t show up early as normal, and another treated me to free flowers after I bought from her every week all summer.
AmyArt – Sorry things didn’t go so well there last year! But I think most people want to see more produce there and aren’t so interested in merchandise, especially mid-day on a lunch break. Sounds like this year’s market is bigger and better than before.
I recall being a vendor last year and it being a bit lame…
I probably won’t be selling there this year, however I hope that the changes are for the better and that this season, customers are actually interested in making purchases from the vendors instead of just looking and touching and asking weird questions. :lol:
I heard about this on an NPR broadcast this morning, seems like they’re really trying to pull in more craft/artisans from the region – which is kewl, but, isn’t it only on Tuesdays and Fridays on Pearl or something like that? Would strike me as being difficult to get momentum.
Got some tasty bread from the farm based out in Eldorado, OH. Have no clue where that could be. The going and having to bring stuff back isn’t too much of an obstacle, though I’d prefer to be able to do it on the way back to my apartment, but I do live Downtown so I’m thinking I could make a trip up and back to buy some veggies, toss them in my backpack, and ride back home. I wonder if people buying the condos nearby take advantage of their proximity…I still say the city needs to hand out a guide on urban living to new residents.
Heading over around noon, hopefully I’ll run into some of you.
bump!
Last week they had Planet Smoothie and some new folks I had not seen before.
I miss Skambo—
We didn’t pick anything up today as the weather was starting to turn sour and we ducked into Sushi by Yu right before it started dumping. Hooray for rain.
Will head back on Thursday with some purchases in mind. :D
So, how did you like Sushi by Yu?? Haven’t checked it out yet.
It was premade with only four choices, but good for lunch if you work downtown.
i’m going to try to remember to stop in next tuesday. i want some samosas and fresh produce, wish i had seen this thread earlier in the day. :(
http://www.columbusunderground.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13122&start=18
;)
I’m seriously late on this, but I’ve been vending at the Market every Friday this summer…I sell handmade clay jewelry and share a booth with a couple other artists/crafty ladies….it has been kind of lame (I hate to say, b/c the organizers work SO damn hard!). Sale have been horrible, people DO want to touch everything and ask the most unusual questions, and walk about without buying a thing. When I get a free minute I’ll walk around everyone else’s booth, which takes me all of 10 minutes, so if I wasn’t already downtown, I’d never make a special trip. They need MORE vendors, and free parking.