Photo courtesy of Lyndsi Hughes.
About 25 vendors selling artisan items and farm-fresh produce will gather each Friday from May 17 through Aug. 23 for the Ross Bridge Farmers Market.
The Ross Bridge Farmers Market kicks off its fifth season in May. From 4-8 p.m. every Friday between May 17 and Aug. 23, guests can enjoy shopping with local farmers and artisans, food trucks, live music and children’s activities.
Lyndsi Hughes and her husband Tim started the market in the summer of 2015. When they moved to the Ross Bridge area, there was a bi-weekly Saturday market that eventually ended, and they saw a need to bring it back to the community.
“We are passionate about bringing together local farmers and artisans with the consumers that enjoy their produce and goods,” Hughes said.
Held at the Ross Bridge Main Green Space on Grand Avenue, each market features around 25 vendors offering a variety of fresh produce and homemade products like peanut butter and honey. Several new vendors are added for this year, including Terry Farms, Triple C Farms and Medders Farm, which makes a variety of homemade peanut butters. Wandering Coffee Company is also a new vendor for 2019.
Local artisans also bring their creations of leather goods, candles, jewelry and more, and this event can be a launching pad for their business. Hughes said they enjoy being a part of the growth of their market vendors, some of whom have gone on to sell their products in grocery stores or have their own stores.
“Some of the returning favorites are Southern Oaks Farm, Bubba Mori Farm and Chaffin Farm, as well as artisan vendors such as Butt Naked Candles, BBs Bread and Rawson Revival,” Hughes said.
Hughes said as the market has grown, she now books three to four food trucks along with dessert trucks each week to provide a variety of foods to accommodate the amount of people in attendance, which on some weeks can reach around 500.
Free children’s activities each week include inflatables, face painting and balloon artists from Magic City Face Art.
The Hughes said they host the market on Fridays when there is less competition with other markets and since weekends are busy with youth sports and other area events.
“We felt that a Friday market is the perfect relaxing end to the week before the hustle and bustle of the weekend really starts,” Hughes said.
Visit facebook.com/rossbridgefarmersmarket for updated information each week.
