The modern version of a farmers market dates back at least 40 years in Northwest Arkansas. That's how long the Fayetteville Farmers' Market has been selling fruits and vegetables and giving away fun around the downtown square.

But that's just a moment or two in the history of a community get-together that is popular around the world.

According to farmersmarketliving.com, the first farmers market was more than 5,000 years ago, when ancient Egyptians working the fields along the Nile brought their crops to village plaza to be sold.

What Americans know as farmers markets -- white tents and vendors selling out of the back of their vehicles -- can be traced to the 19th century, and business is booming in the 21st. The demand for local food reached $7 billion in 2012, nearly doubling since 2002, according to the website.

Teresa Maurer knows for sure that the Fayetteville market has nearly doubled in size since she moved to Northwest Arkansas in 1991.

"I've been a customer since Day 1," she says. "It was such a great market but a much smaller market -- about 40 vendors, maybe. I don't think any streets were closed. East Avenue was the first one closed in 2000 or 2001."

When the market opens Saturday -- "the first one out of the gate" in the region, Maurer says -- East, Center and Mountain will all be closed to anything but foot -- and paw -- traffic. "I don't know how the dog thing got started," she says, "but they're part of the character of the market."

She also expects most of this year's 70 vendors will be on hand, "about 80 percent farmers and farm-related things – jams and jellies, goat and cow cheese – and 20 percent art, craft, baked goods and coffee."

New this year -- but probably not until May -- will be the market's first food truck, Off the Rail BBQ, parked near the Bank of Fayetteville on the northwest corner of the square. Like every decision made by market management, it's part of "a balancing act" to bring more variety to the market without losing business for the traditional vendors.

"Fruits and vegetables have been our mainstay, like most farmers markets," agrees Paula Boles, manager of the 17-year-old Springdale Farmers Market. But, as was true at those markets of old, Springdale sellers will have more to offer buyers starting May 3 than "your usual squash, okra and potatoes," she adds.

"We have a lot of Hmong vendors and, because of their Asian background, they bring a lot of different varieties of vegetables that other farmers may not."

The popularity of variety is clear in the demand for farm-raised meat, says Nicki Dallison, manager of the Bentonville Farmers Market.

"There's really been a shift toward being able to talk to your farmer about where your food came from," she says.

The Bentonville market, which is in its 38th season this year, runs "about 25 percent crafts and 75 percent food -- which varies from nuts and goat cheese to jams and pastas, baked goods, fruits and veggies," Dallison says. "We also have nursery plants -- so you can grow your own heirloom tomatoes. We have a bunch of talented vendors!"

The market will open April 26 with 69 vendors, up from 63 last year.

"We are at capacity," she says. "The worst part of my job is turning people away."

Always busy, the Fayetteville Farmers' Market has found a new way to grow this year. The Sunday market will start up again, but it will be located at the Jefferson Center, the former Jefferson Elementary School at 612 S. College Ave.

"It's really in response to customer demand -- a lot of people tell us they have a lot of things going on on Saturday and can't make it to the square -- and the desire to move the Sunday location closer to the square," Maurer says. With about 20 vendors, "it's going to be a nice little market."