New Downtown St. George Farmer’s Market draws crowds to Vernon Worthen

The St. George Farmers Market is back and bigger than ever with new vendors and a new look.

Over the summer, the popular market was put on hold due to the old location, Ancestor Square, no longer having the space. The market was getting too big and there were security issues, said Kat Puzey, executive director of the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op.

After lengthy discussions with St. George’s City Council, the market was approved to move to Vernon Worthen Park and allowed to open every Saturday for a year-round market with seasonally changing produce.

Saturday marked the first lar market, with a grand total of 60 vendors including several food trucks. Turnout was in the thousands, with several packed rows of locals thronging the park from 8 a.m. to noon. Many vendors sold out within an hour of opening, Puzey said.

Rows of tents and vendors have followed the curve of the south corner of the park, although with the crowds and confusion of the setup, Puzey anticipates a wider path and different rows in next week’s market.

The Farmers Market also offers some small business owners the opportunity to really interact with their customers and win new ones.

“I have another business that I sell door-to-door, so I don’t really get to interact with customers because I’m always cooking,” said Leu Verdugo, owner of The Pink Cart. , one of the vendors. . “So being able to interact with the customers that I’ve seen, I really appreciate that.”

Many sellers were first-time sellers in the market anticipating the reopening and looking forward to winning more customers.

There were local favorites like Affogato West, Charred and The Heart Beet for hungry market goers. Additionally, local duo Projekt Listen performed throughout the event.

Traveling vendor Fred Openshaw of Openshaw Farms said this new space and the number of vendors and customers could put the St. George Downtown Farmers Market in competition with larger markets across the state.

The Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday from May to October, with hours changing to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in November, February, March and April. January and December will be down months for farmers to prepare for the new year, Puzey said.

To learn more about the Downtown Farmers Market, visit https://mofacoutah.com/downtown-farmers-market.

Elle Cabrera covers the latest news and topics. Help us continue to produce this content at thespectrum.com/subscribe.