What’s new at the Terre Haute Farmers Market?

One of our favorite parts of summer is the Terre Haute Farmers Market.  We want you to love it too, so today we’re sharing highlights and updates from the new Market Master, Carrie!

What’s New at the Terre Haute Farmers Market?

When my friends at Haute Happenings asked me to share a little bit about what’s new at the Terre Haute Farmers Market, I had to chuckle because the first thing that came to mind was ME!

I’ve loved the Market ever since it started downtown fifteen years ago. As a lifelong resident of Terre Haute, it’s wonderful to see something growing and prospering that builds community, encourages healthy habits, and supports local growers and makers. That love inspired me to apply for the Market Manager position when it opened this spring. I was so surprised when I was offered the job that it took me a day or two to swallow my nerves and accept!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachael (@hautehappenings)

Now I find myself in the parking lot of The Meadows Shopping Center every Saturday morning from eight until noon. The Market has grown not only in size this year, but we also host forty vendors from within a 100-mile radius, featuring items that they’ve produced or grown themselves. You can find the freshest fruits and vegetables, farm-fresh meats and eggs, cut flowers and fresh plants, local honey, jams and jellies, bbq sauce, pickles, kombucha, more.

You can pick up a cup of Rex Coffee and enjoy more breads and baked goods than I could name, including gluten-free and keto-friendly selections. Your pets can even grab a snack! If you’re looking for body care items, we have you covered with lotions, soaps, lip balms, bath products, and aromatherapy. You can pick up natural insect repellant, wood-wick candles, homemade jewelry, textiles, woodworking, and more!

You can still find live music at the Market every Saturday morning, and I’m working to build on a history of really great events. Of course we’re having Kids Day this year – two, in fact: June 15^th and July 13^th. Several of our guests are celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing this July, so we’re going to have an Out of This World event with the help of the Swope Art Museum, CHANCES and Services for Youth, Community School of the Arts, Purdue Extension/4H, The Terre Haute Children’s Museum, United Way of the Wabash Valley, the Vigo County Public Library, the YMCA, and more!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachael (@hautehappenings)

We’re also focusing on Health and Fitness June 22^nd, we’ll have some very special guests for Lemonade Day on July 20^th, we’ll celebrate the National Day of Dance July 27^th, you can bring your furry friends to Dog Days of Summer August 3^rd, we’ll all focus on Sustainability August 10^th, and we’re going to round out the season with some events focusing on music, art, and literacy as we head back to school this fall.

So! You may be wondering how you can get involved! First, come out to see us and shop! There’s no better way to keep your money close to home and support growers and makers in our community. Second, share the market with your friends and neighbors; tell them about your Farmers Market Finds or, better yet, bring them along! Third, you, yes YOU, could sell! Visit www.terrehautefarmersmarket.com to learn how you can apply to join the market. We could hold a spot for you next summer, or you could join us for the Winter Market inside the Meadows this November through May.

Finally, please consider becoming a sponsor of the Market. We cannot grow without the financial support of our community. Your donations help to fund the events I just listed above and have a direct impact on your friends and neighbors whether they’re selling at the market, making purchases, or just enjoying the music. With just a $10 donation, you’ll get a yard sign to let everyone know you’re a Friend of the Market. You may even consider sponsoring a day at the market or having your business or organization’s logo added to our t-shirts and totes.

Okay, back to those nerves and accepting this position. Why would I give up sleeping in on Saturday mornings? Why would I sacrifice half of a day when I could otherwise be playing with my family or watching my four-year-old splash in her grandma’s pool? Because I hope that I’m able to build a community around the Market. I love seeing friends and neighbors stopping to chat until their tote bag gets heavy or their dog starts to pull at the leash, eager to greet a kid rushing to find their favorite homemade sucker or cookie. I want to be a part of something that my daughter grows to love as much as I do. I want to see her come out and launch rockets on Kids Day, or pet baby goats when we celebrate the Dog Days of Summer, or just dance to the music. Maybe, just maybe, she’ll actually try a tomato this summer. Maybe someday she’ll see what it means to roll up your sleeves and grow something amazing or create something incredible. And if that’s not a good reason to get out of bed early on a Saturday morning, I don’t know what is.

Won’t you join me?

The Terre Haute Farmers’ Market is located at the Meadows, 2700 Poplar St. and is held Saturdays from 8am-noon.During the Winter months, the market takes place inside the Meadows Shopping Center in front of Stein Mart on the first Saturday of the months November-May from 9am-1pm.  The Terre Haute Farmers’ Market is a marketplace dedicated to providing the community with fresh locally grown and produced goods. Our market is a grower/producer only market, which consists of vendors from within a 100 mile radius of Terre Haute.