Eleven years this farmers market has been going strong with an influx of vendors and customers who can change with the seasons. For those who have had the honor of attending this market since its inception, they have seen people move, families grow, small businesses get bigger and faces come and go. In our new space, the amount of vendors are kind of limited however it is nothing but abundant with selection and sustainability. Just this year, we have welcomed seven new vendors including White Oak Valley Farms who is attending their first market this week!

I chose this rainy Sunday to sort through all the market paperwork that has been handed down to me and enjoyed purging some of the documents that dated as far back as 2011. Seeing vendor applications from their first year and thinking how excited they must have been, then finding some farm applications who are no longer in business or have grown so big that they no longer attend. It was bittersweet but alas, everything changes with the seasons.

The summer season always provide peak amounts of product and, with almost thirty vendors, the cheerful yet massive market crowd can cause some confusion. Since we have only been at our new home with Chattanooga Brewing since March, we are finally settling in and ready to provide a vendor map to make your shopping experience easier. To our newcomers, navigating to the bountiful booths can be intimidating and for those more experienced, a constantly rotating set up is frustrating. So take comfort, as us vendors are, in knowing exactly where everyone and everything is so that you can enjoy your surroundings more.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”—Margaret Mead