Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market Opens Saturday
Editor’s Note: The Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market opens at 8 am this Saturday, April 2, 2016. Rick Savage, Market Manager, tells us about the festivities we can expect Saturday and shares details about what’s new for this year’s market.
Downtown Farmers’ Market Opens Saturday
The opening day for the Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market is Saturday April 2, 2016. Starting at 8 am and continuing until 12:30 pm, the market will open with many new vendors offering farm fresh food, baked goods, locally made crafts and much more. The market is located at 135 West Chatham Street, in front of the Ivey-Ellington house.
Live Music, Prizes & Special Guests
There will be great music provided by the ever lively Motley Tones and several special guests appearing throughout the morning. There will be a raffle, and tickets will go on sell on opening day and continue until the prizes are awarded to the winning tickets towards the end of April. This year’s prizes include two or more baskets made up of vendor goods each worth about $25. There will also be “market bucks” to win $25 to spend at the market.
There will be several prizes from local downtown businesses such as The Mayton Inn, Paisley’s Boutique, Studio 180 Salon, Academy Street Bistro and many more. There will be a dozen or more prizes!
A Little History
The farmers market started in Cary in 1996 when three small family farms wanted a place to sell their products directly to the community. Downtown Cary proved to be a welcoming home for the three farmers, and the relationship began.
A strong community has developed at the market over the years. The community has come to know and trust the farmers who make their food while sampling produce, learning about where and how the food is grown and talking about recipes with other shoppers. The Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market has grown since those three farmers began and now welcomes not only farmers but also artisans such as coffee roasters, bakers, artists and craftsmen.
New for 2016
This new season will focus more on providing education about food and crafts.
Each Saturday, there will be cooking demonstrations by local chefs, various demonstrations in food preparation, craft demonstrations, talks by local gardeners and farmers and talks by local experts on many topics related to locally grown food, local sustainability, environmental stewardship and urban ecology.
The strong downtown community spirit of Cary will be reflected by the Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market, not only in the products offered to the community but also in education and in being a social gathering place. Fun, entertainment, locally-grown fresh food, locally made crafts, education and community will be constant themes at this year’s market.
I would love to hear your suggestions to help improve your farmers’ market.
Market Details
Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market
Saturday, April 2, 2016; 8 am-12:30 pm
at the Ivey-Ellington House, 135 West Chatham Street
Story by Rick Savage, Market Manager. Photos by the Cary Downtown Farmers’ Market.
Stories on CaryCitizen are sponsored in-part by The Fotoshoppe on Kildaire Farm Road.
