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Market committee: season events begin, vendor applications hit 84 as staff rolls out invoices
Summary
Market staff reported the cooking-demo series and seasonal events have started, vendor applications reached 84 for 2026, and staff rolled out online invoicing for annual vendors with a June 30 payment deadline.
Stephanie reported the market’s cooking-demo series launched May 13 with an asparagus demonstration led by Tyler, assistant market manager, and attendance was boosted by a field trip of about 97 fourth graders from Burns Park Elementary. The demos will run second Wednesdays at 11 a.m. through September, supported by a Michigan Farmers Market Association grant for food-safety education.
“Tyler did a great job and I think all the kids everyone got to taste something,” Stephanie said, describing the kickoff as “one of the highest attended” demos. She said the market will hold one demo per month through September.
Staff previewed several upcoming events: Flower Day (this Sunday, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.) in collaboration with the Sunday artisan market, the A2 Week food walking tour on June 3 starting at the market at 11 a.m., and the second annual Asian night market on June 12 (5–9 p.m.) organized with Marupo Acts. The committee encouraged vendors and the public to RSVP for the walking tour and noted that the night market will mix market vendors with outside food and performance offerings.
On vendor applications, Stephanie said regular market and food-truck rally applications are officially closed with 84 total submissions and ongoing inquiries. She said food-truck rallies are being kept smaller this year, with about 10–15 food trucks and carts tentatively booked for each rally beginning in July on third Wednesdays after the Wednesday market. A committee member gave a breakdown of applicant types: roughly 20% artisans (non-food), about 60% value-added food (with 40% of that cottage-food producers), 8% farms, and the committee accepted 16 annual vendors (two mobile vendors without seniority).
The market is implementing a logo-and-invoicing transition. Stephanie said the first batch of annual vendor invoices was sent and noted an online-payment option with a June 30 deadline: “The new thing this year is you can pay online much easier.” Staff will monitor the invoice/waiver links and then roll the system out to daily vendors.
The committee also reminded members there will be no committee meeting in June while staff are out of the country; members requested email updates if procurement or selection items move forward before July.
