Annual farmers market opens next week with produce, hot food and
more
The Hollister downtown farmers market opens May 12, from 3 p.m.
to 7 p.m., and will remain open Wednesday afternoons through
September.
”
It’s pretty much the same (as last year),
”
said Tammy Jackson, the market’s manager.
”
We have a few different farmers, but for the most part it will
be the same.
”
Annual farmers market opens next week with produce, hot food and more
The Hollister downtown farmers market opens May 12, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and will remain open Wednesday afternoons through September.
“It’s pretty much the same (as last year),” said Tammy Jackson, the market’s manager. “We have a few different farmers, but for the most part it will be the same.”
Many of the produce vendors are the same as last year, though Jackson said there are a few new additions. One is Fairhaven Orchards, which will sell locally grown cherries. Most of the vendors have signed up for the full run of the market, which will run from May 12 through the end of September. A few of the vendors will skip the first few weeks while they wait for their crops to come in.
This is the second year the market is staying open through September, with an additional five weeks.
“We said we would try it for two years because it is hard to do it just for one year, because you see people in September and they think it’s done,” Jackson said. “Everyone but one booth has said they will stay through September.”
New this year will be an eco-friendly green booth where people can purchase environmentally-safe cleaning products. They will also have a chance to do a cook book or gardening book exchange.
“They can bring in a used cook book or gardening book and take a new one,” Jackson said.
In addition to the farm vendors who filled up booths on Fifth Street, Jackson said this year the artists’ booths also will be on Fifth Street to help generate more foot traffic for them. Last year, the arts and crafts booths had been set up on the grassy lot on the corner of Fourth and San Benito streets.
“Last year we spread the booths out and gave them extra space in between for vans,” Jackson said, “But there weren’t many people who brought them. We decided to make space for the artists on Fifth Street so they can get more foot traffic.”
All but two of the spaces available on Fifth Street had been claimed as of press time, but Jackson said there still is some space available on the grassy lot on Fourth and San Benito streets.
Prepared food vendors will again fill the parking lot behind The Vault restaurant, and include Mansmith’s, Charley’s corn, Dave’s Dawg House, Ridgemark and Cedar House, as well as a few other food vendors.
“We had a lot of interest in restaurants,” Jackson said, though they worked to make sure each one is providing a different offering.
For instance, Cedar House will serve desserts and requested to bring pie. But since Casa de Fruta was already signed up to offer fruit pies, Jackson said they compromised to allow Cedar House to bring cream pies.
It was the same with the produce vendors.
“We had a lot of farmers wanting to come in, but you can really only have so much lettuce, tomatoes and onions,” Jackson said. “We gave people from last year the first option (of what they wanted to sell). A few didn’t call or respond so we have a few new ones in their place.”
Live entertainment will be returning again this year, though the line up is not yet available.
“It’s kind of neat to have a mixture and for the most part, people really seemed to enjoy it,” Jackson said of the bands, dance troupes and musicians who performed last year. “It brought extra people. Even if the high school kids may have only bought a soda and a tri tip sandwich, it brought more bodies out to the market.”
The first day of the market this season, guitarists David Huboi and Vince Zuniga will be performing.
One of the busier nights was a performance by students from a local dance studio.
“We had the kids come out and dance,” Jackson said. “All the hot dogs sold out and kids stayed after.”
The market will again have a bounce house on the grassy lot at Fourth and San Benito streets, as well as a face painter, so kids have something to do. Nonprofits will share the space on the grassy lot.
“We hope people will come out and support the local economy,” Jackson said. “It is important to support – get bodies out there. Our biggest focus is to get a diverse mix so there are people out there and there is something for everyone.”
The Hollister farmers market is set up to accept EBT cards and WIC coupons.
For more information, to sign up as a vendor or to find out about performing at the market, call Tammy Jackson at 408-804-1234 or
ma****@do***************.org
.
