By Fiona Stoner
Northside Farmers Market

The outdoor market will continue as usual Oct. 7, 14 and 21. On Oct. 28, we move indoors to Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC). Our winter market hours will change to 10 am–1 pm.

We are often asked why we change our hours for the winter market. There are a couple of reasons. In the winter, most customers arrive later in the day, and it’s a lot to ask our vendors and volunteers to arrive very early in the morning. We are grateful to be working with WPCRC again this year, and they agreed to open their building an hour earlier on Sundays to accommodate a 10 am start time.

Some years, when a fall day is warm and sunny, it seems we moved inside too soon. Some years, when vendors are wearing down coats on a chilly morning, we wish we had gone inside sooner. The decision on when to move indoors must be made far in advance. We have to schedule the space early in the summer, prepare information for vendors to decide if they can participate and plan out the space to maximize every square foot.

The winter market will include some vendors from the summer market plus some artists who will have gift ideas for the upcoming holidays. Our winter season will run Oct. 28–Dec. 16 (eight weeks) from 10 am–1 pm. Quest transactions will still be processed and the Double Dollars program continues into December as funds permit.

We need volunteers for the final three outdoor markets as well as our indoor season. You can volunteer in a number of ways; stop by the info booth at the next market and put your name and email on the volunteer sheet. Our treasurer, Winnie, sends out a reminder email each week, and people sign up for the various shifts. You can also visit our website, northsidefarmersmarket.org, click “Get Involved” and contact us there. Your time spent at the market is an investment in our local food system.

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