Farmer’s Market taking weekday market out of downtown

Headed for parking lot at 6th and Wakarusa

Topeka residents Stan and Carla Soper shop for fresh lettuce on the opening day of the Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market in 2008. They brought along their two chihuahua dogs Millie, left, and Cassie.

Lawrence’s Farmers Market will expand outside of downtown with a new market at Sixth and Wakarusa this spring.

Tom Buller, market coordinator, confirmed the organization’s board has decided to move its Thursday market from downtown Lawrence to the southwest corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive.

“We just felt like it is an area where there is a lot of population growth and a lot of traffic, especially in the evenings with commuters coming back from Topeka,” Buller said.

The new market is scheduled to open May 6, with hours from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. It will be in the parking lot that serves the Salty Iguana and other businesses. Buller said about 25 vendors had signed up to participate in the market, up from about 15 vendors who traditionally had participated in the downtown Thursday market.

The market is expected to have meat, produce, baked good, cut flowers and other agricultural products.

Businesses near the site said they were pleased to see a special event come to the west side of Lawrence.

“I think it is a real good idea,” said Michael Neth, owner of Eileen’s Colossal Cookies, 4931 W. Sixth Street. “The more traffic this center gets, the better. I think some people forget that there are quite a few retailers over here.”

The market in 2007 tried a location outside of downtown when it sold products in the parking lot of the Community Mercantile at Ninth and Iowa. But Buller said parking problems at that location ended the market after one year. He said parking at the new location should not be a problem.

The Tuesday and Saturday markets will continue to be in downtown. The Tuesday market will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the city parking lot at 1020 Vermont Street. Its first day is slated for May 4. The Saturday market will run from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the city parking lot at 824 New Hampshire. Its opening day is April 10.