New Clinton Farmers Market launches Saturday at fairgrounds
The all-new Clinton Farmers Market will hold its first session from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. this Saturday, May 24, in the Anderson County Fairgrounds.
With new organizers, a new location and a new day and time, the reborn Clinton Farmers Market aims to succeed where the previous version struggled to gain momentum.
The East Tennessee FARM group had sponsored the Clinton Farmers Market the previous three years – the first year in the city parking lot on Commerce Street and the past two years in Clinton’s Lakefront Park.
The group announced in March that it did not intend to operate the market this year, citing a lack of vendor interest.
But Clinton sheep farmer Matthew Garafalo told The Courier News last week that he and his partner, Maggie Hanson, have created the new Clinton market, although only the first session has been planned so far, and the location might change for future sessions..
“We hope to have our market once or twice a month, and the city would like for us to have it closer to downtown,” Garafalo said.
“We’re looking at maybe using the city’s [Commerce Street] parking lot behind the Daugherty Lofts, or the new city lot along [Main Street],” he said.
As for this weekend’s market, “We will have artisan goods, baked goods, produce and vegetables, eggs, beef and lamb, and we hope there will be a vendor bringing pork,” he said.
“This first year there will be no vendor fees,” Garafolo said. “Next year there might be a small fee.
Meanwhile, on May 7, the Norris Farmers Market began its new season, operating the same day and hours each week as last year – Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. – in the same spot, on Norris Square, in front of Norris Middle School.
Norris is an open market and does not require registration or charge vendor fees.
“The rule is that all vendors must create, make, or grow what they sell,” Norris market coordinator Mindy Wells said. “No reselling is allowed. This is a traditional farmers’ market.
“Crafts are always welcome as long as they are made by the vendors. But no multilevel marketing products are allowed.”
