(Images: Debra Van De Weghe)
The popular Uptown Farmers Market will be back this summer on Thursday nights.
The market will be open from 4–8 p.m. every Thursday from June 11 through Sept. 24. Due to construction at the Seven Points Mall, the UFM will move west to Lagoon and Girard on the MoZaic Plaza.
“The market’s success is a reflection of everyone’s work. This is an important piece of Uptown’s revitalization.”
Although the MoZaic Plaza space is smaller than the original location, there will be the same number of vendors, about 25 to 30 each week. The market will feature a varied mix of produce vendors, artists, buskers, food trucks, ice cream, treats, kids’ activities, and sponsor booths.
The farmers market organizer, Amy Sanborn, is excited by the increase in vendor applications. “We already have more than enough committed vendors to fill our new space. Plus, we will have honey,” she said, “something we wished we could find last year.”
The new space also has a connection to the Greenway to make walking and biking there more convenient.
The more intimate-feeling space will make it perfect for the musicians — buskers, singer-songwriters, soloists, and trios of all genres — that are already booked for this season.
The space is well-designed for a beer garden, and organizers hope that they can bring one to life with alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.
The market’s mission is to nourish a healthy, vibrant Uptown, and many credit its debut last summer as the beginning of a new and better era.
Market organizers are encouraging business owners to stay open during the market hours and consider joint promotions.
Moona Moono owner Angie Lee says this approach helped her grow and better serve her community. “When I started staying open later last summer on market nights, I discovered my community really loved having a place to hang out later than our normal 6 p.m. closing time.”
Market organizer Dan Sutton is grateful that Amy Sanborn, Jonathan Beck and the more than 20 members of their volunteer team will be back again this year to steer and promote the market. Team members are residents from all eight of its founding neighborhoods.
Over 100 volunteers helped at the market last summer, tallying more than 3,500 volunteer hours. Uptown supporters who would like to volunteer this year can sign up on the UFM website: uptownmarket.org.
Sutton also credits Tim Prinson and his partners, the City of Minneapolis, Midwest One Bank, Ragstock, Metro Transit, The Minneapolis Foundation, the Uptown Association and all the UFM’s sponsors with having the vision and follow-through to make the market work. “The market’s success is a reflection of everyone’s work,” he said. “This is an important piece of Uptown’s revitalization.”
Ellen van Iwaarden writes for the Hill & Lake Press. She lives in East Isles.
