Holiday weekend begins with farmers market

By: 
STAFF REPORT

     Fresh produce, sweet treats, handcrafted items and natural body care products are just a few of the items available at Coal City’s farmers market—Market Fresh on Broadway.
    Now in its third season, the market continues to attract new vendors and shoppers to the weekend and weekday markets.
    As village of Coal City Trustee Neal Nelson recently said, “it’s really taken off.”
    Held on select dates between July and September, the number of vendors has grown from seven to 18, and all but one vendor will be set up in the park for this weekends market, the fifth of the season. The Saturday, Sept. 1 market will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Campbell Memorial Park, 580 S. Broadway.
    Since its inception, the goal for Coal City’s market  has been to provide area residents with a location to access quality locally sourced products.
    Farmers markets, according to the Farmers Market Coalition, serve to preserve America’s rural livelihoods and farmland, stimulate local economies, increase access to fresh, nutritious food, support healthy communities and promote sustainability.
    Vendors slated to participate in this week’s market include:
    • Albo Acres—Alpaca fiber, yarn, figures, hats, gloves, socks, shoe inserts, dryer balls, blankets, purses, sweaters, and more.
    • Apisera Craftworks— Plants, vegetables, fruits, pickled items, jams, homemade crafts.
    • Beautiful Bridal Boquets—Custom designed floral arrangements for any occasion from weddings to dances, as well as centerpieces and grave decorations.
    • Candy and Corn—Snow cones, gourmet and buttered popcorn, cookies, candy, praline nuts and cotton candy.
    • Carbon Cycle Farms—Variety of garden fresh non-GMO and pesticide free vegetables.
    • M&M Specialties—Cookies, muffins, bread, cake and cupcakes.
    • Nettle Creek Lavender Farm—Dried lavender bouquets, lavender and herbal bath and body care, sachets, herb bouquets and raspberries.
    • Perkins Farm—Variety of garden grown vegetables.
    • Rogue Farm to Curbside Kitchen—Made to order breakfast items and sandwiches.
    • Stella’s Serendipity—Natural, food-based body scrubs, bath bombs and related products.
    • StoreHouse Farm—Oyster and shittake mushrooms, salad mix, lettuce and other homegrown items.
    • Sunny Bee Farms—Locally harvested honey.
    • Sunshine Garden Center—Plants, herbs and gift items.
    • Three Sisters Produce—Jams, jellies, spices, baked goods, vegetables, teas and chicken and duck eggs, along with quail eggs.
    • Twin Oaks— potatoes, watermelon and peppers.
    • Two Crafty Ladies—Hooded bath towels, key fobs, rice bags and more.
    • Wills Farm Sweet Corn will be available and Wills Family Farm Orchard and Pumpkin Patch will selling apples picked fresh from their trees.
    Additionally, on the schedule for the Sept.  1 market is Ms. René from the Coal City Public Library who will host storytime under the gazebo beginning at 9 a.m. At 9:45 a.m. the library will reveal the name of its new American Girl Bitty Baby.
    Market music will be provided by Jesse McCants who will perform from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and Michael Be from noon to 1 p.m.
    Just two more markets remain this season—Thursday, Sept. 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 15, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
    Market Fresh on Broadway is sponsored by the village of Coal City, Coal City Park Board, Sunshine Garden Center, The Free Press Newspapers—The Coal City Courant, Grundy County Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Three Rivers Association of Realtors.