The budding directors of the Gilroy Farmer’s Market are hoping to cultivate the downtown community with a new location, vendors and activities as the venue kicks off a brand new season Saturday.
Now in its third year, the market is under the fresh leadership of Ian Webb, 28, and his wife Theresa Webb, 27, of Gilroy. The pair brings new ideas and changes to the market, which they hope will become a more central part of Gilroy.
Part of that includes re-locating the outdoor market from its former location on the corner of Monterey and Seventh streets to the Gilroy City Hall parking lot at Seventh and Rosanna streets. The market’s previous location was hard for the community to recognize, according to the Webbs. Not only that, the new site is more centrally situated and City Hall is within walking distance for most people, Theresa points out.
She hopes the market’s new home will provide increased visibility and foot traffic for vendors, especially with hundreds of patrons already coming and going from Gilroy’s nearby bustling library.
“The farmer’s market has a great, friendly atmosphere, is a part of downtown and is a way to support local businesses,” she said. “The area it’s at is a beautiful area and is great for picnicking and laying in the grass.”
In addition to selling fruits, vegetables and prepared foods from local farms and food producers, the farmer’s market will also feature booths for children, handmade arts and crafts and local organizations/small businesses that want to get their name out into the community.
“Several people have come up to me saying they would want to sell their crafts,” Theresa said. “We always have a lot of local residents from Gilroy displaying their crafts at the farmer’s market.”
Beyond creating a place to support local businesses, Theresa and Ian are crafting the farmer’s market to be a place to interact with the community.
“There will be live music at every farmer’s market,” Theresa added. “It is great to get to see the community because people will approach you and develop relationships.”
There are currently 20 produce and food producers signed up to sell their products at the farmer’s market. Theresa expects that number to grow as year continues.
“There will be fresh organic produce and prepared food and as the season continues we will grow,” she said, confidently.
The Webbs are the newest volunteers to step forward and lead the market, which struggled through its first two years with a rotating door of directors and an inconsistent number of vendors. Following two prior, failed attempts over a span of several years, a third effort to get a farmers’ market going in Gilroy was spearheaded in 2011. Gilroyan Catalina Ventura served as the market’s first director, followed by local Kersty Daniels in 2012.
The Webbs will continue nurturing the sapling organization in hopes its roots will take lasting hold in the Garlic Capital, thus encouraging Gilroyans to spend their dollars locally rather than at markets in Hollister or Morgan Hill.
The Gilroy Farmer’s Market will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Gilroy City Hall parking lot at Seventh and Rosanna streets from June 1 to Nov. 23.
