Meet the Farmers at the Farmers Fall Festival

Cary, NC – The Cary Downtown Farmers Market was founded in 1996, and is Cary’s original farmers market. They celebrate the Fall harvest season with the third annual Farmers Fall Festival on Saturday, September 28, 2019, with an extended footprint onto West Chatham Street.

The Cary Downtown Farmers Market meets every Saturday at the historic Ivey-Ellington House located at 135 W Chatham St. The Ivey-Ellington House is the one everyone mistakes for an old church, but it was really a house and built in what is known as gothic board and batten construction. The market takes place normally from 8 AM to noon from April until early November.

On September 28, the footprint will expand to include the corner of Academy Street along W Chatham to Harrison Avenue. The Farmers Fall Festival is a fundraiser for the market so that they can continue to be a thriving market offering organic and healthy food options for our community.

While the footprint will expand to include many new vendors, don’t miss the chance to meet and shop with the farmers who will be at the center of the action on the Ivey-Ellington lawn. These will include Parker Farms, Howell Farms, Sapony Creek, Queen B Farms, Heaven Scent Honey, Dean’s Greens and Old North Farm. Many of the regular market sellers will also be at the event, with special items just for the festival. Bring your grocery bags so you can fill up on all of this fresh organic goodness!

What to Expect

The market’s mission is to help the people of Cary live a healthier lifestyle. The market’s farmers grow organic produce meats, eggs and dairy products all within an easy drive of Cary. One favorite activity is the Eat A Rainbow scavenger hunt in which children try to find foods at the market with all the colors of the rainbow. Go Green educational elements will be throughout the festival. Look for the Town’s recycling demonstration booth which lets you know what should go to the landfill vs what should be recycled. And bring your own refillable water bottles; the festival has a special refiller on hand to help eliminate plastic bottles int eh event’s trash.

Chef Mitch will be cooking with market-fresh produce in two demonstrations held during the day at Kitchen & Bath Galleries. Stop by at 11 AM or 1 PM and be sure to get some free samples.

There is a tradition at this festival of pie eating, and this year the pie of choice will be pumpkin provided by Once in a Blue Moon Bakery. The challenge happens at noon, in front of the Main Stage.

Entertainment this year will include two areas. The Main Stage, sponsored by Dr Charles Ashley Mann DDS, will have the soulful sounds of Mysti Mayhem from 9 AM to noon and then after the Pie Eating contest, recover with The Ethan Hanson duo from 12:30 to 3 PM. The Kids Stage, sponsored by Douglas Realty Group, will feature student groups from around the area, including Starpath Dance, Balance Martial Arts, Forged Fitness and the YMCA Super Skippers.

What festival is complete without beer? Come try the latest from Jordan Lake Brewery and Fortnight, both Downtown of Cary. They will be joined by Chatham Hill Winery (located on Chapel Hill Road) as well as Naughty Penguin Cidery from Morrisville.

If you have beer, you need food. The festival will have five food trucks, such as local favorites Queso Monster and Mr. Mongolian as well as food available from some of the tented vendors. Annelore’s, a regular market vendor, has some pretzels that are a perfect match for a pilsner!

In the Kids Area stop by the Sociable Art booth and paint a pumpkin to take home. Other fun in the Kids Area, sponsored by AT&T, will include a bounce house, Happy Dan the Magic Man, free face painting with Justine and a craft table run by College Nannies and Tutors.

The event is free and open to the public.

Event Info

The Farmers Fall Festival

Saturday, September 28, 2019

9 AM – 3 PM

West Chatham Street (between Academy Street and Harrison Avenue)

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Story by Lindsey Chester, photos courtesy The Cary Downtown Farmers Market