Page 24 - May 2021 proof with links - The Castle Pines Connection

24 CastlePinesConnection.com
Farmers markets: A weekend t
By Chris Michlewicz; photo courtesy of Parker Farmers Market
The arrival of spring also means the much-anticipated arrival of farmers market season. There are few better weekend traditions than stepping into a busy farmers market on a warm, sunny day and perusing homemade wares, local art, vibrant flowers and baskets full of freshly-picked fruits and veggies. The Parker Farmers Market, a decades-long staple of downtown Parker, will take over Mainstreet and Pikes Peak Drive every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting May 9.
Through the end of October, more than 100 vendors, including four local vegetable growers and three Western Slope fruit growers, will set up booths and mingle with the masses.
Because so many Colorado residents have come from somewhere else,
farmers markets here are uniquely positioned to offer a wide variety of
regional delicacies. Favorites from the South and Midwest (fried okra,
anyone? or maybe some bona fide cheese curds?) are mixed in with local must-haves, like juicy Palisade peaches, which come into season in late June and are typically sold throughout July and August.
Every booth is purposely intended to be different from its immediate neighbors, providing a wide variety for shoppers and reducing direct competition between vendors. In addition to crafts of all kinds, consumers will find handmade soaps, pastries, meats, breads and jars containing everything from hot salsas to sweet jams.
The LOCAL Colorado, the company that owns a handful of boutique shops and farmers markets in Parker, Castle Rock and Aurora, said supporting Colorado merchants and artisans is part of the allure. Attendees can “shop happily” knowing they are buying from local vendors and supporting fellow Coloradans, the Parker Farmers Market website says.
With the great outdoors as the venue, farmers markets are tailor-made for the times, since some residents are not yet comfortable going back into enclosed public places.
For more information, visit www. thelocalcolorado.com/parker-farmers- market/.
radition worth celebrating
More than 100 vendors will take over the streets of downtown Parker every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning on Mother’s Day.
2021 Farmers Markets
Castle Rock Farmers Market
Outlets at Castle Rock
5050 Factory Shops Boulevard Saturdays: 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
June 19 – October 30 http://originalcastlerockfarmersmarket.com/
Centennial Farmers Market
University Towne Center
7424 South University Boulevard Wednesdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. May 5 – October 27 www.elephantrockfarm.com
Cherry Creek Farmers Market
Cherry Creek Shopping Center 1st & University, Denver Wednesdays: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. June 16 – September 29 Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
May 1 – October 30 www.coloradofreshmarkets.com
Festival Park Farmers Market
300 2nd Street, Castle Rock Sundays: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 30 – September 26 www.thelocalcolorado.com
Founder’s Green Market in Central Park (previously Stapleton) 2900 Roslyn Street, Denver Sundays: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
June 6 – October 10 www.denver80238.com
Highlands Ranch Town Center Farmers Market
9288 Dorchester Street
Sundays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. or sellout May 2 – October 31 www.denverfarmersmarket.com
Littleton Farmers Market
Aspen Grove
7301 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton Wednesdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
June 16 – September 29 www.denverfarmersmarket.com
Parker Farmers Market
Parker Road & Mainstreet Sundays: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 9 – October 31 www.thelocalcolorado.com
South Pearl Street Farmers Market
1400 – 1500 blocks of South Pearl Street Sundays: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
May 9 – November 14 https://www.hobnobevents.com/
South University Farmers Market
5859 South University Boulevard, Greenwood Village
Fridays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
May 7 – October 29 www.elephantrockfarm.com
Southlands Farmers Market
Southlands Shopping Center Town Square 6155 South Main Street, Aurora Saturdays: 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
May 8 – September 25 www.thelocalcolorado.com
Southwest Plaza Farmers Market
Southeast Parking Lot, Wadsworth & Bowles, Littleton
Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. or sell out May 1 – October 30 www.denverfarmersmarket.com/
Union Station Farmers Market
1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver Saturdays: 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 8 – November 23 https://bcfm.org/
May 2021