Ribbon Cutting Saturday to Celebrate the Market on Madison Season Open
The Market on Madison farmers market is set to open its 2019 season on Saturday, April 6th. Operated by Main Street Dublin-The Downtown Development Authority, the farmers market is open every Saturday, April through October from 7:30 am to 12:30 pm. Opening day celebrations include music, children's activities, door prizes, and a ribbon cutting celebrating the market season grand opening at 10:00 am.
Now entering its 13th season, the farmers market welcomes a variety of vendors to sell locally grown produce and homemade items. The selection includes seasonal fruits and vegetables, farm fresh eggs, raw honey, bread, grass-fed beef, plants, organic body products, and handmade crafts.
"We are incredibly excited about this season at the farmers market," says Main Street Dublin Program Manager Liz Coleman. "We have built partnerships with Fairview Park Hospital and Wholesome Wave Georgia that are allowing us to connect growers and makers with customers, at no charge to either. We operate the market totally cost-free to vendors and patrons, and we will be offering children's workshops and special events throughout the year as well."
The market accepts credit, debit, and EBT payment through a token system. "Customers may swipe their card at the market information booth for a desired amount of tokens, then use those to shop with the vendors," says Coleman.
"Farmers markets continue to be a fundamental way to link growers to consumers, and we look forward to seeing hundreds of people each Saturday morning in downtown," says DDA Executive Director Tara Bradshaw. "By giving access to a free, public gathering space for vendors to sell their goods, we are hoping to instill the value of shopping local and build a stronger connection for families to our downtown."
Main Street Dublin-DDA was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from Wholesome Wave Georgia to begin a children's workshop series called "Market Sprouts." The workshops will cover a variety of topics like growing your own food, the importance of fruits and vegetables in nutrition, and bee pollination and conservation among others.
"We'll soon be launching our registration for the 'Market Sprouts' program. All children are invited to register for these free workshops each month, and we are looking forward to educating them in a fun way about the importance of fresh, locally-grown produce and helping them build a life-long appreciation of agriculture and healthy living," says Coleman.
New vendors are welcome to participate in the market. Applications may be found at MarketonMadison.com or call (478) 272-2560 for more information.