It’s time for a fresh take on fresh produce and more.
The downtown Columbus Farmers Market kicks off from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. May 11 in its regular location in the Cummins Parking lot on Brown Street between Fifth and Sixth streets and runs through Sept. 21.
The only change will be June 15, the date of Cummins Inc.’s 100th anniversary, when the company will be using all of its space for anniversary activities.
Therefore, the downtown market will be behind Columbus City Hall in mid-June in the Ethnic Expo international festival space at First and Washington streets. That will be for that one date only.
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“We wanted some place that was close by, and still easy for people to get to,” said Teresa Fisher, market coordinator.
The free gathering, held rain or shine, will include about 40 vendors on the opening and second weekend of May, with items ranging from produce to crafts. Ready-to-eat food vendors with everything from omelets to baked goods also will be on hand.
The market normally attracts crowds of several hundred in May and as many as 1,500 to 2,000 visitors each weekend after that, Fisher said.
“But last year, we had a really awesome May for attendance,” Fisher said. “We had such an awful winter that everybody was really ready to get out.”
Yet, her June through through September crowds last year were down slightly because of the heat, she said.
She also mentioned that her May vendors’ biggest challenge so far has been finding workers — both for the market and for many of the vendors’ regular stores and outlets.
The Columbus City Farmers Market will open from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 1 in the front of FairOaks Mall parking lot facing 25th Street at 2380 25th St. Founder and organizer Sande Hummel said she is aiming for about 20 vendors.
“Everyone still loves us, and we’re looking for a good season,” Hummel said. “Hopefully, Mother Nature cooperates with us.”
The monthly Farmers Market of Hope will be discontinued, according to Diane Burton, who had helped organize the summer and fall series. She said monthly gatherings would begin June 7 but will carry a new name and focus on cruise-ins, which had been a part of the farmers market.
”We’re going in a different direction this year,” Burton said. “We’re going to switch gears.”
She added that organizers’ next meeting about the new events will be today. The new events possibly could include some of the market vendors, Burton said.
