Clinton farmers market opens for season in Lakefront Park
Farmer David Davis of Etowah brought some of his early vegetables to last Thursday’s opening day of the Clinton Farmers Market. (photo:G Chambers Williams III )
The market will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Thursday throughout the growing season, and now is located in Clinton’s Lakefront Park, just off Charles G. Seivers Boulevard near the new bridge over the Clinch River.
The previous two years, the market had been staged in the city parking lot on Commerce Street with late afternoon hours.
“We thought it went great,” said Kathy Mihalczo, president of the East Tennessee Farm Association for Retail Marketing, or FARM, which sponsors the market.
“We had about 12 vendors, and the [customer] response was steady,” she said. “There will be more vendors as the season progresses and the crops are ready. Not all vendors do early crops. Some focus on the summer favorites, and will be here later on.”
Mihalczo said the new location, right on the river, is “much cooler,” and the parking and access are better.
“We enjoyed the location,” she said.
Vendors featured some early fresh vegetables, baked goods, Mediterranean food products (including hummus) and beautiful handmade crafts, she said.
“We have had some complaints about the time frame, but because of sports teams using the park in the afternoons, that was the only time we could hold the market,” Mihalczo said. “We hope people can buzz down during lunch. If there are customers there, the vendors will stay past 1 o’clock.
“We’re sorry the time wasn’t working for everyone,” she added. “But we think the cooler temperatures will be appreciated. We need the community to come out and support it. This will be our third year in Clinton.
“Our policy is to give a community three years to build, but if the vendors don’t get the response, we would have to look for another location. The vendors are trying to make a living.”
Mihalczo said the city of Clinton “has been fabulous to work with. They really want it to succeed.”
“Our mission is to help our vendors,” she said. “Our focus is on them.
“We will have farmers, bakers, gourmet food producers, artisans, and plant people,” said Mihalczo, who operates the Erin’s Meadow Herb Farm in the Marlow community.
“Everything is locally grown, locally made,” she said. “There is no buying and re-selling. Everything is sold by the people who make it. The farmer is standing there selling what he grew.
“All of our baked goods and gourmet foods are produced in health-certified, inspected commercial kitchens,” Mihalczo said. “Everybody is excited about the new time and location.
“And SNAP-EBT benefits will be available again this year,” she added. “We’re glad to be back in Clinton.”
East Tennessee FARM also operates farmers’ markets in Oak Ridge and Knoxville. The Oak Ridge market, on Saturday mornings, went to year-round operation this year.