Year-Round Farmers Market Comes to Fair Oaks

With face painting, balloon twisting, live music and fresh local produce, Village Park may be transformed into a festival-like atmosphere this Wednesday. 

The first Fair Oaks Farmers Market, organized by Be Money Smart USA, kicks off this week and will run year-round. Co-founder Don Hall said he's hoping the market hours – from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. – attract two crowds: people just getting off work, and those who go home after work and come out later for some shopping. 

“It's a great place to take the family in the evening,” Hall said. Even dogs are welcome, on a leash, of course. 

There will be 27 vendors, peddling fruits, vegetables, plant starts, fresh-cut flowers and speciality foods. Some will be organic, while others will not, Hall said. 

Be Money Smart USA also puts on the Carmichael and Sunrise Mall Farmers Markets, Hall said, and has for the past three years. The non-profit training company specializes in providing youth with financial, business and career education programs. 

They're involved in the Farmers Markets and can be seen setting up and breaking down booths, providing food samples and working with vendors, Hall said. The kids also do behind-the-scenes marketing work, such as maintaining the website and blog, writing articles, taking photos and conducting interviews for the organization's newsletter, he said. 

Along with the new addition to the Fair Oaks Village Wednesday evening atmosphere, businesses that remain open will display flags outside, so market-goers can simply look up the street and see who's open, Hall said.