FAYETTEVILLE — Managers of the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market are eyeing expanded days and hours for a satellite location near the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
For three years, vendors have sold fruit and vegetables, fresh meat, flowers and furniture on Sunday southeast of Lake Fayetteville. The site is open May through October each year.
Teresa Maurer and Lori Boatright, market managers, said Tuesday they’d like to expand to Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. The Botanical Garden venue could be opened year-round, and, according to a request to the City Council, a large tent could be added at a later date.
At A Glance
Fayetteville Farmers’ Market
The Fayetteville Farmers’ Market wants to expand its operation near the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks to Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m.; Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon; and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the past three years, the Botanical Garden site has been open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays from May through October.
The downtown Farmers’ Market on the Fayetteville square is open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays from April through the third week of November and from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from April through October.
Source: Fayetteville Farmers’ Market
“The demand for an evening market has increased our desire to expand,” Boatright said.
“We have some people that can’t make any of the daytime markets,” Maurer added, alluding to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning shopping on the downtown square.
Maurer said an additional location is attractive for people who live far from downtown or don’t want to fight crowds on the square. There’s more demand from vendors for space to sell than there is space available, Maurer added.
She counted 108 vendors selling at all times and locations. The square has space for about 70 and 12 to 25 vendors sell on Sunday at the Botanical Garden, Maurer said.
Boatright said they don’t want to do anything to negatively affect the downtown market. But she said she thought customers would support an expanded Botanical Garden location.
Maurer said 2012 sales there are up over the last two — even with this year’s drought.
Tou Lee has sold produce he grows on his Lincoln farm at the downtown market since 2007 and at the Botanical Garden for three years. Lee said he averages $1,000 in sales on the square each Saturday compared to about $300 at the Botanical Garden.
“On Saturday, we bring a van load of produce, and we leave empty,” he said.
Lee supports a Wednesday evening market, but questioned whether people would have an appetite for both Saturday and Sunday markets at the Botanical Garden.
“It might just be wasting vendors’ time,” he said.
Resident Jerry Franklin said Tuesday competition is a good thing. It keeps prices low “and improves the quality of the things you buy,” Franklin said.
Boatright said new days and hours aren’t set in stone. The council and commission will first have to approve changes.
Vending and peddling is typically prohibited in public parks, but council members made an exception on Sundays at Lake Fayetteville.
The council will consider the request for expanded days and hours Tuesday. No date has been set for the commission meeting.