Farmers Market Season Comes To A Close At End Of October

The 2013 season for City of Iowa City-sponsored Farmers Markets is coming to a close at the end of this month -- so be sure to make it to the market in the next couple of weeks to pick up your fresh produce and Farmers Market favorites before the season's over! 

DOWNTOWN FARMERS MARKETS
The Downtown Farmers Market, held on Wednesdays from 5 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon at Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp on Washington Street (across from City Hall), is full of fresh seasonal produce being harvested this time of year: pumpkins, sweet potatoes, winter squash, potatoes, and apples, as well as fresh-pressed apple cider and honey. There's also an ample supply of other in-season fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, kale and other greens, beets, cabbage, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, and kohl rabi. Many of your other Farmers Market favorites -- meats, cheese, home-baked items (breads, pies, cakes, donuts, cookies, and desserts), prepared foods (pasta, jams and jellies, salsa, kettle corn, and more), jewelry and gift items, as well as fall fresh-cut and potted flowers -- also continue to be available each week. The last Downtown Saturday market of the year is scheduled October 26. The last Wednesday market will be held October 30.

MERCER PARK FARMERS MARKET
The Mercer Park Farmers Market, which was new this year, will be wrapping it up for the season on Tuesday, October 29. This market, held on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at 2701 Bradford Road (next to Southeast Junior High in the parking lot north of the baseball fields), offers many of the same items for sale as the Downtown market. Many of the Mercer Park vendors, in fact, also sell at the Downtown market or at the NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids. 

To mark the end of its first season, the Mercer Park market will celebrate with a Halloween Festival from 3 to 6 p.m. on October 29. There will be music, free pumpkins to decorate, games for the kids, a bounce house, and story time with the Antelope Lending Library bookmobile. It promises to be a great family event -- and an opportunity to stock up on your favorite Farmers Market items before the season ends!

HOLIDAY MARKETS 
Some vendors will make a brief appearance in November and December for the Holiday Markets, sponsored by the City of Iowa City to help Farmers Market patrons with their holiday shopping. Foods, original art, hundreds of homemade gift items, and holiday decorations for the home will be available for sale at two holiday markets, scheduled Saturday, November 16 and Saturday, December 14. Both will be held at the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center at 220 S. Gilbert Street from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

For more information on the Downtown or Holiday Markets, contact Tammy Neumann at 319/356-5210 or tammy-neumann@iowa-city.org. For the Mercer Park market, contact Emily Ambrosy at 319/356-5237 or emily-ambrosy@iowa-city.org.