Get ready for the Iowa City Farmers Market, where more than 100 vendors will sell fresh produce to homemade sweets
Saturday mornings spent browsing locally grown produce, polishing off chocolate truffles or catching breakfast at the Chauncey Swan Park are back.
The Iowa City Farmers Market returns for its 51st season Saturday, kicking off months of weekly farmers markets held at the Chauncey Swan Park, 405 E. Washington St., in downtown Iowa City through October 28.
A shade under 110 vendors are confirmed to populate weekend mornings this season, recreation program supervisor Michelle Wiegand told the Press-Citizen, though that number could fluctuate as a few applications remain in the processing stage.
Who will be at the Iowa City Farmers Market?
The amount of returning vendors have increased this year, and the Iowa City Farmers Market is also welcoming back a handful of vendors for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, Wiegand said.
“We are really excited to see a lot of new and returning vendors, people who started last year and had a positive experience and (are) returning this year and also vendors who we haven’t seen for a couple years coming back after the pandemic,” she said.
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Vendors include:
Bread Worthy Bakery, based in Iowa City, serves pastries from croissants to banana bread or scones
Doggone Tasty Treat Company, based in North Liberty, sells homemade treats for dogs
Honey War Bee Company, based in Farmington, boasts of honey “so good it’s worth (almost) fighting over," according to its website
Pasta of the Prairie, based in Marion, sells pasta made from scratch and meal kits
The Lavender Farm at Sutliff, based in Sutliff, sells flowers including tulips and hyacinths
Roughly 17 vendors are new to the Iowa City market so far, Wiegand said. That list includes food truck South Side Street Foods, which serves fry bread with toppings fit for tacos or transformed into a dessert in addition to handcrafted hot sauces of Ansel’s Awesome Sauce.
Lawn games such as bags or ring toss return for visitors to enjoy at the park while different organizations including the Iowa Children’s Museum will offer other arts and educational activities for attendees.
Expect for the popular kids’ market and Halloween market to also return this season as well, Wiegand said.
Here's who is performing at the Iowa City Farmers Market this year
Shoppers can enjoy live music all season long thanks to an expanded performance schedule. Instead of starting in June, music kicks off the first Saturday with a performance by Iris Mae and Annie: Mother Daughter Americana. Annie Savage is the director of orchestras at Liberty High School and a local musician involved in the group the Savage Hearts.
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Music will play from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday as opposed to ending at 11 a.m., like in the past.
The performance schedule is as follows:
May 6: Iris Mae and Annie: Mother Daughter Americana
May 13: Sweet Cacaphony
May 20: Cedar County Cobras
May 27: Crystal City
June 3: Kalimbaman and the Fabulous Yahoo Drummers
June 10: D'Allan Rice
June 17: Pennies on the Rail
June 24: Ingrid Streitz
July 1: Saul Lubaroff & Andy Parrott
July 8: The EastEnders
July 15: Old Capitol String Band
July 22: Pandelirium Steel Band
July 29: Ryne Doughty
Aug. 5: Freegrass String Quartet
Aug. 12: David G. Smith
Aug. 19: The Soft & Low
Aug. 26: Marc Janssen & the Locals
Sept. 2: The Drollingers
Sept. 9: The Mayflies
Sept. 16: River Glen & Band
Sept. 23: Dandelion Stompers
Sept. 30: Jarrett Purdy & Dan Padley
Oct. 7: The Uke-a-maniacs
Oct. 14: Pigs & Clover
Oct. 21: PhDJ
Oct. 28: Plastic Relations
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Iowa City Farmers Market returns this weekend with more than 100 vendors
