Farmers market at the marsh draws larger crowds despite construction; board discusses outreach and layout changes

Ann Davey told the board that the farmers market moved to the marsh this season and ran 18 dates on Tuesdays from June through September. Attendance rose versus the prior site, averaging 711 visitors per week and peaking at 918 on the busiest day. "Our highest attended day was 918," Ann said. Across the season there were 63 unique vendors, 30 of them new.

Ann described product variety (fruits, vegetables, meats, baked goods, coffee and prepared foods) and said the Power of Produce youth program had 492 youth participants this year; the program gives registered children a $2 coupon to spend on produce when they check in. Ann and board members said construction on Minnetonka Boulevard, which reduced lanes and slowed traffic, was an unexpected challenge that likely affected some attendance and parking patterns.

To address access issues next year, staff proposed moving vendor stalls to the north side of the parking lot to increase east‑side parking and to spread community organizations across more market dates rather than concentrating them on a few days. A board member suggested having a Park Board booth at the market for outreach; staff confirmed they will evaluate frequency and logistics to avoid creating a meeting quorum while staffing the booth.

The report was informational; no policy action was taken at the meeting.