Vendors and market organizers reflect on 2023 Cedar Rapids Farmer’s Market season

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - With more than 200 vendors at each market, The downtown farmers market is getting ready to wrap up its 18th season.

”This season, I think has just been really good to see the community coming back out again and experiencing downtown Cedar Rapids,” said Coady Sierra, Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance Events Planner.

Rich Arnold who owns Four Acre Farms out of Alburnett has had a booth at the market for the past two years. He said it’s great to see the market be so successful.

”There’s no better way to keep your money circulating locally than spending it at a farmers market. The tomatoes or bread or cutting board that you leave the market with directly does translate into food on the table, clothes for kids, mortgage payments for the businesses down here. So just seeing how much the community supports the local businesses around this area has been awesome,” said Arnold.

Anthony Green runs Chef Green and Co., selling Jamaican jerk seasoning and jerk chicken at the market.

He said the market has been a great way to get his business’ name out there.

”When you start a small business, you’re very nervous of the direction that it will go in and the, you know, the attention that it will get, but with, you know, thousands of people walking past on a Saturday, that’s awesome,” he said. “So we are very visible on a Saturday and we get to keep the people that you know like our products. Because we’re we’re in the same location every Saturday,” said Green.

And while market organizers and vendors alike said the end of the season is bittersweet, they’re already excited to see what next year brings.

“I honestly cannot believe how fast this summer has gone. It’s going to be bittersweet, but I’m excited to start planning for next year and hopefully having a bigger, better market and just getting more people from the Cedar Rapids area down to our farmers market,” said Sierra.

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