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City commission keeps downtown farmers market on Harrison Avenue; seasonal rotation planned
Summary
A city staff member said the city commission voted unanimously on March 10 to keep the downtown farmers market on Harrison Avenue. The market will rotate blocks on Harrison Avenue seasonally while the Downtown Improvement Board collects sales and foot-traffic data through 2026.
A city staff member said the city commission voted unanimously on March 10 to keep the downtown farmers market on Harrison Avenue as its permanent home moving forward. "On March 10, the city commission voted unanimously to keep the market on Harrison Avenue, and that's going to be its home moving forward," the staff member said.
The announcement stressed growth since the market began in 2020. According to the staff member, "It now supports more vendors than ever and draws thousands of visitors each week," and the market requires more space than the previous location could provide.
The staff member said the market was temporarily moved out of McKenzie Park because of construction and that the Harrison Avenue location gives the space needed for continued growth. "That also means that McKenzie Park will now be open for other Saturday events," the staff member added.
Officials announced a quarterly rotation on Harrison Avenue to test different blocks. "From now through June, the market will be located between 4th and 6th Street. Then from July through September, the market will shift back to Beach Drive up to 4th Street, and from October through the end of the year, it moves back to 4th through 6th Street," the staff member explained.
The rotation is meant to support different areas of downtown and help evaluate which site works best, while maintaining support for local businesses. The staff member said the city has received "mixed feedback" and will study the effects before settling on a permanent configuration.
The Downtown Improvement Board will collect data on sales, foot traffic and impacts from street closures through the end of 2026 to inform the long-term decision about the market's location. The staff member said the city is "committed to supporting our local businesses and working to make sure that the market continues to be a benefit to them as well."
The staff member said officials are "excited about what's ahead and look forward to keeping you updated." The commission vote and the board's data collection are the most recent procedural steps; the staff member did not name individual commissioners, and no ordinance or resolution number was provided.
