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Newport farmers market draws growing crowds, changes hours after quick vendor growth
Summary
City Administrator James Fincher told the council that the Farmers Market has expanded from five to eight vendors and is averaging about 100 visitors in its first two weeks; staff adjusted hours to close earlier because vendors were selling out.
City Administrator James Fincher told the Newport City Council that the downtown Farmers Market has expanded in its opening weeks and is drawing healthy crowds.
"The Farmers Market opened 2 Saturdays ago and has now been open for 2 Saturdays and it's going very well," Fincher said. He said vendor numbers rose quickly, from five to eight in the span of a week, and the market averaged about 100 people per day in its first two weekends. The market previously opened at 8:30 a.m. and had been scheduled to stay open until 1 p.m., but Fincher said vendors were often sold out by 11:30 a.m., so staff adjusted the schedule to close at noon.
Fincher said the city has ordered additional canopies for vendors after starting with five canopies and then ordering five more to meet demand. He credited Regina, the event organizer, for the market's layout and early success and said he had received positive comments from the community.
Ending
City staff will continue to monitor participation and vendor demand; Fincher said they had purchased extra canopies to accommodate anticipated growth and will keep an eye on weather and logistics as the season progresses.
