Farmers Market back on familiar ground
Photo courtesy of Leslie Lynch-Wilson
The Lincoln Park Farmers Market returns this year to the civic center-area parking lot location that was unavailable in 2011. Newly repaved by the Downtown Development Authority, the market kicks of its summer season today.
By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
LINCOLN PARK — Under semi-new management, the Lincoln Park Farmers Market returns today to its original home in the now-repaved Southfield Road municipal parking lot, ready for a summer season featuring Flower Days, veteran vendors and familiar customers.
Leslie Lynch-Wilson, who served as manager on behalf of the Lincoln Park Downtown Development Authority, said that the 2012 Market will operate under the supervision of newly-formed Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market.
“More people have become interested in the Market,” Lynch-Wilson said, which prompted the formation of new oversight and administration. Christopher Dardzinski, who was among the planners that organized a Lincoln Park Winter Market, will serve as president of the Friends group.
This will be the sixth year for the market, and Lynch-Wilson said that when it first opened there were few such produce outlets in Downriver communities, although the concept of locally-grown fruit and vegetable vendors has taken off in recent years.
“The popularity of farmers markets increased,” Lynch-Wilson said. “We were the first Downriver. Due to more markets coming about, it becomes more popular and more attention is placed on it.”
Last year, the market was held at Fort Park Boulevard and Philomene Street while the DDA repaved the Southfield Road parking lot. Attendance declined slightly last year, likely due to the relocation and smaller venue, although attendance reached as high as 400 customers. More than 5,000 shoppers a year visit the Market, Lynch-Wilson said.
Today’s Market kicks off at 11 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday through October.
Lynch-Wilson said that the second week of the Market, May 13, will be “Flower Day,” and that additional special days and features are in the planning stages. Lynch-Wilson said that in addition to accepting Bridge cards and participating in
the Fair Food Network’s “Double Up Food Bucks” program — which provides Bridge card holders with $2 in tokens for every $2 spent — credit and debit cards will be accepted at the Market.
For more information on the Friends of Lincoln Park Farmers Market, visit the group’s Facebook page or call (734) 775-2267 or (313) 598-3137.
(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected])