The Iowa City Farmers Market returns to the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp this Saturday. The market’s hours this year will be 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May 4 to Oct. 26.
One new thing at the market this season will be the person in charge.
“This is my first season as the supervisor of the farmers market,” Bill Lane of the Iowa City Parks and Recreation Department told Little Village. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know all the vendors and all they have to offer, and really seeing this community come together in support of the farmers market and local business.”
Lane isn’t planning on making changes to the farmers market, but is looking to build on what the market already does.
“We’re going to try to keep the same pace that we had kept in prior years, and really just do what we can to continue that success,” he said.
There will be new faces among the more than 140 vendors signed up to participate this season, including new “candy vendors, craft vendors and some new food vendors,” according to Lane.
As is traditional, there will also be live music every week. For the opening session on Saturday, guitarist Dan Padley and pianist Jarrett Purdy will be performing original compositions and jazz standards.
Other farmers markets around the state kick off this weekend as well. Des Moines’ Downtown Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays, May 4 to Oct. 26, from 7 a.m. to noon in the Historic Court District. The Ames Main Street Farmers Market begins on Saturday, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., on Main Street between Clark and Kellogg Avenue. Another launching on May 4 is the Waterloo Urban Farmers Market, found on the RiverLoop Expo Plaza from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday through October, and the Cedar Falls Farmers Market in Overman Park, 8:30 a.m. to noon.
The Quad Cities have two major markets: the Freight House Farmers Market in Davenport (421 W River Dr), held on Saturdays (8 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Sundays (10 a.m.-2 p.m.) beginning this weekend; and Mercado on Fifth in Moline, a Friday evening market, 5-10 p.m., starting May 24 and running through September.
The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market begins Saturday, May 25 from 7:30 a.m. to noon, and returns June 1 and 15, July 6 and 20, Aug. 3 and 17, and Sept. 21.
Of course, there will be dozens of markets and thousands of vendors setting up stands across the Hawkeye State this summer. You can search for a farmers market in your county through the Iowa ag department’s online directory.
