photo by: Kim Callahan/Journal-World

Opening day of the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market, April 12, 2025.

As the Lawrence Farmers Market continues its search for a permanent location, its leader said it has entered a new phase in the development and is looking for more public input later this month.

After hosting a few informal engagement sessions at the farmers market and preparing a detailed informational page on its website, Emily Lysen, the market’s director of development said the market plans to host public town halls in September to present some of the plans in its search for a permanent location.

As the Journal-World reported, the market is using a Kansas Healthy Foods Initiative grant to conduct a feasibility study that will help it find a permanent site in downtown Lawrence with the aim to have a location selected by the end of the year. The market has been at its current location, the parking lot at 824 New Hampshire St., since 2007, but a permanent location could help the market resolve some logistical issues and bring in a wider variety of vendors.

Lysen said the initial work for the feasibility study included talking with people about the search for its permanent location. During those initial conversations introducing the concept, Lysen said she was happily surprised with how many had heard about the plans and have heard positive feedback.

“The community so far (is) really excited about it,” Lysen said.

The market also talked with some of its newer vendors about the location search process. Lysen said many of the key priorities shared by the vendors included ensuring there are bathrooms and parking for the customers. She said the general theme of the feedback was to “keep it simple.”

Lysen said the focus now for the project is about “listening and visioning,” and it will include a community town hall on Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Carnegie building, 200 W. Ninth St. She said it will be a more formal presentation to the public alongside the project’s consultants with Clark Huesemann and called it a “great opportunity” for people to learn and give feedback.

Along with that town hall, the farmers market plans to hold a virtual town hall for people who could not attend. Lysen also said they will be at the Art in the Park event Sept 13-14, and she expects to add more events when they are confirmed on the project’s website.

Lysen said the market is still on track to select a location by the end of the year so the project would be in the design phase in 2026. Until then, the project aims to make sure it can hear from as many Lawrence residents as it can.

“We’re trying to do our best to reach out to as many groups and stakeholders as possible to hear what people think,” Lysen said.