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Keith McCord Reporting Gather up your shopping bags, backpacks, and folding shopping carts--it's time to wander through the Downtown Farmers' Market. The 2007 edition opens tomorrow morning at Pioneer Park.
The Downtown Farmers' Market is in its 15th year, and it seems to grow every year, too. As far as these types of markets go, the Downtown Farmers' Market is now one of the largest in the country!
Farmers' markets take place in all 50 states, in small towns and big cities. The Downtown Farmers' Market here in Salt Lake has earned a good reputation in the past 14 years and has been well-attended, too.
Andrew Wallace with the Downtown Alliance says, "Both in the number of vendors that we have as well as the number of visitors that we have. We have about 5,000 to 7,000 visitors every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m."
One shopper asks, "Who doesn't like fresh produce?" Fresh, just-harvested produce is one of the main attractions of the market. More than 70 Utah farmers and growers will participate this summer. "This year we have 20 new vendors, which put us to about 230 vendors between the food and the craft side," Wallace says.
You can expect the usual variety of foods--breads, cheeses, meats and seafood. Arts and crafts will also be available at the market. Parking for the market could be a bit challenging for the immediate future since construction projects along 300 South and 400 West have reduced the number of parking slots.
But, market-goers can use a parking garage just north of the park on 400 West; it's a building with a big mural on the side. "It has a 500-space capacity, it's covered, and more importantly it's free. And it's only half a block from the market," Wallace says.
Though it's considered a large farmers' market, through the years, organizers have been careful in trying to keep it manageable and fun. "That's what special about the market," Wallace explains, "There's a great variety of products and vendors and people, but there's not so much to where it's overloaded and out of control."
Again, the Downtown Farmers' Market runs each Saturday, starting tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., through October 20.
