Hosting a Farmers Market during a pandemic has proven to be a challenge. In 2020, the City of Fishers tried a system of ordering online and picking up your order. In 2021, the city plans to retain the online pick-up feature with a home delivery option, but will use guidance from the Fishers Health Department to have an in-person market in 2021.
Below is the news release issued by the city with all the details:
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The Fishers Farmers’ Market, hosted by Fishers Parks and presented by IU Health Saxony, will kick off the 2021 season with a safe, in-person market beginning Saturday, May 1. The market will take place every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater (6 Municipal Drive, Fishers).
Fishers Parks is working alongside the Fishers Health Department to ensure the health and safety of shoppers, vendors, and staff. Social distancing will be encouraged, as well as frequent use of hand sanitizer and hand-washing stations, and masks will be required for vendors.
The Fishers Farmers’ Market will also feature online ordering with home delivery. Online ordering will be available Sundays, beginning at 9 a.m., through noon on Wednesdays at fishersfarmersmarket.localfoodmarketplace.com. A maximum of 50 orders will be accepted per week, and orders will be delivered on Saturdays. For contactless delivery, shoppers can place a cooler on their front porch.
Ranked one of the top farmers’ markets in the region, the Fishers Farmers’ Market showcases vendors from Central Indiana that offer fresh produce, baked goods, honey, specialty food items, meats, coffee, plants, and more. Juried to the strictest standards, the market offers fresh, local, flavorful foods direct from farmers and producers. For a list of vendors, visit playfishers.com/FarmersMarket.
New for 2021, the market is expanding its annual Biz Kidz Day to offer opportunities for young entrepreneurs ages 5 to 17 throughout the market season. Each week, selected children will be given space at the market to sell their hand-made or homegrown items. The market will also host its annual Biz Kidz Day on July 10, where they will welcome more than 40 young entrepreneurs for the day.
Also happening Opening Day, Fishers Parks will host the Arbor Day Tree Giveaway, where they will hand out free tulip tree seedlings. IKEA Fishers will also be on site to distribute free reusable bags to shoppers as part of the city’s annual Keep Fishers Beautiful initiative. To reduce its environmental footprint, the Fishers Farmers’ Market is a plastic bag free market, and shoppers can pick up free reusable shopping bags every Saturday. Learn more about Keep Fishers Beautiful at thisisfishers.com/KFB.
The market also features live entertainment from the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater stage. This year’s lineup features:
- May 1: Doug Henthorn
- May 8: Haley Jonay
- May 15: J. Elliott
- May 22: Mina Keohane
- May 29: Steve Fulton
- June 5: Kyle Bledsoe
- June 12: Pat Petrus
- June 19: Rick Matillo
- June 26: Dane Clark
Artists for July through September are yet to be announced.
Shoppers can also enjoy free yoga every Saturday morning from 8 to 9 a.m., along with the popular Farm Hands kids’ program, where the market’s littlest shoppers can participate in special activities.
Other specialty days with themed programming for shoppers include the Health and Wellness Expo on May 22, which hosts local organizations and businesses that promote healthy living in Fishers. The Fishers Freebirds Club will host a day at the market on September 18 with special exhibitions, giveaways, and activities geared to those ages 50 and better. Other theme days include the Green Fair and Sustainability Expo on June 12 , National Farmers’ Market Week (August 7) and Closing Day (September 25).
Shoppers can find free parking throughout the Nickel Plate District. Free garage parking is available in The Depot and Flats at Switch parking garages, located to the east and west of Fishers City Hall (1 Municipal Drive), along with the Police Station garage (5 Municipal Drive) and Spark Apartments garage (8780 North Street).
For more information and a list of vendors, visit playfishers.com/FarmersMarket, and be sure to follow the market on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.