Grab a grocery list, head downtown and immerse yourself in the spirit of Eugene.
The Eugene Saturday Market and Farmer’s Market made their seasonal debuts Saturday on Eighth Avenue and Oak Street, where they can be found every Saturday until November — even on rainy days.
“The Saturday Market has approximately 300 booths, crafts, food and a stage with music. (The performances are) family programming — vaudeville, juggling,” Saturday Market General Manager Beth Little said.
The Farmer’s Market peddles a little earlier than Saturday Market, which begins at 10 a.m., selling its locally grown produce from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday. From May 7 through Oct. 29, the Farmer’s Market will also operate Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Saturday Market vendors operate on a slightly different schedule, selling from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. According to Little, however, when the Tuesday market begins, some crafters will set up right alongside the farmers, although they make their biggest showing on Saturdays. There might be about 20 crafters’ booths on Tuesdays, while roughly 200 are present on Saturdays, Little said.
According to Noa O’Hare, market director for the Farmer’s Market, vendors have a lot to offer this year, such as baked goods, honey, a plant nursery and even chicken.
Bill Allord, a local crafter who runs a small company called Shining Star Mosaics, said he sells photo frames made of stained-glass mosaic and Venetian glass tiles. Although Allord has previously displayed his pieces at the Ruby Chasm, he now sells his art exclusively at the Saturday and Holiday Markets, and is returning to the market for the sixth year in a row.
Local couple Deborah Martin and Bill Booth, farmers of Horton Road Organics, are celebrating their 10th year selling homegrown produce. Martin said she has noticed some changes over the years.
“The Farmer’s Market has exploded,” she said. “It’s more and more popular. Its growth is unsurpassed in probably a lot of other industries. It’s a huge change. It’s a very positive move for the community.”
Not only do Martin and Booth sell at the market, they also have a “community supportive agriculture program,” and sell vegetables to Holy Cow restaurant.
Tom Denison and Elizabeth Kerle, a local couple who run Denison Farms, have been vending at the market since 1980. Denison said they sell all types of organic vegetables, from rustic arugula to golden Swiss chard.
“People know us for our tomatoes and our melons,” Denison said.
Local farmers encourage people to visit the market.
“We really encourage people to come down and taste the bounty,” Martin said.