Cary Farmers Markets Open This Weekend

Cary, NC — The Cary Downtown Farmers Market and the Western Wake Farmers’ Market both open this Saturday, April 4, 2015. Another favorite, the Waverly Farmers’ Market, opens at the end of the month. We got some details about what’s new at the markets this year and about what shoppers can expect on opening days.

Cary Downtown Farmers Market

Saturday, April 4, 2015 marks the opening day for the Cary Downtown Farmers Market. From 8 am-12:30 pm, at 135 West Chatham Street in Downtown Cary, more than a dozen vendors will display meats, produce, baked goods, coffee, pottery, jewelry, soap, recycled totes and more.

The Motley Tones Singing Pirates will perform, as well as the Cary Invasion basketball team dancers. At 9 am, Mayor Weinbrecht will give a short speech to kickoff the market’s 2015 season. There will also be an ongoing raffle and basket giveaways (most with a retail value of $300-$500) to help raise money for the market.

Raffle tickets can be purchased online or at the market prior to 11 am on opening day.

CaryCitizen talked to Karmen Paterson, Market Manager, to get the scoop on what’s new this season. She told us that the market will have a kids’ tent and a food table each Saturday.

[The kids’ tent will be place] where kids can come and do a craft or participate in an activity or hear a story. This will be a good place for the kids to hang out while moms and dads shop. It will be situated away from the road and we are hoping the Cary Teen Council will help to run the table. [At the food tent], we will have local area chefs coming in to do cooking demos, taste testings, etc.

Customers can also be on the lookout for the following special events at the market this year:

• Salsa Showdown – May 30, 2015
• 3rd Annual Honeymoon – June 27, 2015
• 3rd Annual Family Picnic – August 1, 2015
• Chili Cook-Off – October 3, 2015

Waverly Place Farmers’ Market

The Waverly Farmers’ Market opens at 9 am on April 25, 2015, but they’re getting the word out about opening day festivities now. In addition to the local produce, meats, cheeses, fresh baked goods, homemade crafts, local vendor tents and live music that will take place at every Saturday market, some special activities are planned for the end of this month.

Performances by Cary Pop Warner Football and Cheerleading and the Triangle Youth Philharmonic Brass Quartet will be part of the fun in addition to activities for the kids–like balloon art and the “Read and Feed” mobile classroom.

This year, the market is launching a new program called Local at Waverly Place, which highlights Cary’s charities, clubs, performance groups, schools and more. Each week, Waverly will include the surrounding community in the market with special showcases, activities and performances.

They’ll also have a Seedlings Learning Center that will include a mini market where children can pick wooden plants and vegetables and take them to the market. They can then turn them in for pretend money which will be exchanged for stickers and small prizes.

Western Wake Farmers’ Market

You can visit the Western Wake Farmers’ Market this Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 8 am. Located at Carpenter Village Market at 101 Gathering Park Circle in Cary, opening day will also feature crafts, flowers, fruits, vegetables, baked goods and more. On May 2, 2015, a second Western Wake Market location will open at the UNC Wellness Center in West Cary.

Cary Farmers Markets – Opening Dates

Saturday, April 4, 2015
Western Wake Farmers’ Market, 8 am-12 pm
Cary Downtown Farmers Market, 8 am-12:30 pm

Saturday, April 25, 2015
Waverly Place Farmers Market, 9 am-1 pm

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Story from staff reports. Lead photo by Peyri Herrera. Waverly Market photo from Facebook.

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Food on CaryCitizen is sponsored in part by the Waverly Farmers’ Market.