An employee at Sidhu Farms helps a customer at last year’s Queen Anne Farmers Market. Sidhu Farms will return as one of 28 vendors selling farm products, which also includes ranchers and fishermen.
QA&M News file
The 2023 Queen Anne Farmers Market season will begin a little early this spring before regular markets resume.
Because shoppers responded so well to the fall Saturday markets last year, Queen Anne Farmers Market Executive Director Matt Kelly said organizers opted to host a spring Saturday market. It will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 on West Crockett Street.
From plant starts, to flowers and a full market besides, the Saturday market will feature more than 60 vendors, many targeting Mother’s Day shoppers, which happens to be the following day, May 14.
“It’ll be really happening on West Crockett Street that day,” Kelly said.
The regular 2023 Queen Anne Farmers Market, which takes place from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through the summer, will begin June 1, starting on Crocket Street and then expanding when school ends.
Kelly said he hopes this year will continue the success of last summer, which returned to pre-pandemic attendance levels.
“The market was very a big hit last year,” Kelly said, adding the farmers market experienced an uptick in vendor participation going into this season.
Attendance on the rise
He said more than 110 vendors asked to participate, which is over 20 percent more than last year. Based on space and vendor offerings, the regular Thursday market will feature 70 participating vendors throughout the season. Per usual, the majority will be farmers or ranchers as it is always the mission to support Washington farm producers, Kelly said.
He said the vendors will rotate out throughout the season, depending on the produce in season and vendor availability.
“On any given market day, people can expect over 50 participating with us,” Kelly said, adding the market will feature 28 farm/ranch/fisher vendors throughout the season.
Those include market mainstays like Hayton Farms Berries and Alvarez Organic Farms as well as a few new farm vendors, like Enumclaw-based Fantello Farmstead and Creamery, which produces cow cheese, both soft and aged.
“They have also butter, too, which is something we’re excited to have in the mix,” Kelly said.
Also new to Queen Anne is Olsen Farms, a ranch that raises cattle, lamb and pigs and does its own processing there, and also offers potatoes.
Kelly said another vendor he is excited to see is Puget Sound Mushrooms, which is returning to Queen Anne after a few years hiatus. Puget Sound Mushrooms is based out of Yelm and offers a wide variety of gourmet mushrooms.
“I think it’s really going to add to the neighborhood plates this summer,” he said.
The market will also have 23 food artisans, selling processed foods from their booths.
“We’ve got a good number of them, and it’s going to keep things fresh as they rotate all season long,” Kelly said.
New this year is Alpenglow Cocktail Company, which produces handcrafted, non-alcoholic cocktail syrups. Burns Vegan Bakery is also new this year and is known for its old-fashioned fudge, with over 20 types.
Lastly, Kelly said the market will feature 19 ready-to-eat vendors, which includes seven food trucks. New to that list is Seattle Samosa, offering samosas made from organic, local ingredients, and Kottu, a food cart specializing in Sri Lankan food.
Kelly said so much interest from vendors eager to sell at the Queen Anne market is a good problem to have but made the selection process difficult.
“The ones we are able to accommodate are the best of the best, I guess is the best way to describe it,” Kelly said. “It’s hard, though. It’s a challenging process to get the market mix right.”
He said, while farms are prioritized, supporting new and start-up businesses is another goal at the market.
“I would say vending in any Seattle market is a huge opportunity for small businesses, and we try to offer as many opportunities to new businesses every year,” Kelly said. “I guess it also keeps things fresh for our customers, too, when we offer something they haven’t seen at another market.”
Other activities
As in past years, the market will also have sponsor booths and different activities, including the popular children’s program and the two-bite challenge, where children are asked to try two fruits or vegetables from a vendor that they may have never had before. Participants then receive a $2 coupon to use at the market. Kelly said the market will also host live music during the summer, featuring local artists, typically from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
After the regular season concludes Oct. 12, the Queen Anne Farmers Market will bring back the popular harvest markets from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 28, Nov. 18 and Dec. 16.
“There will be 24 market days this year,” Kelly said. “That’s more markets than ever, and we feel really good about that.”
Kelly also noted that people have until the end of today to donate to GiveBig, which is a state-wide effort that benefits non-profits. Kelly said a donor has pledged to match up to $6,000 donated to the Queen Anne Farmers Market this year. To donate, go to wagives.org/organization/QAFM.
For more information on the Queen Anne Farmers Market, visit qafm.org/.