Norris Farmers Market kicks off its 2026 season
Clinton’s to open May 1
Patricia Nora, center, greets visitors to her booth at the Norris Farmers Market on its 2026 opening day, last Wednesday, March 25. Others here, from left, are Rebecca Hopper, McKenzie Hopper, Derek Miller and Dessie Tronyna. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Meanwhile, the creators of the Clinton Farmers Market that began operating last spring said Monday that their market would begin operation this year on May 1-2, during the Clinch River Spring Antique Festival in Historic Downtown Clinton. More details will be announced later.
As for the Norris market, the only notice residents got about the first session of the year was from a post on Facebook a few days in advance that said a few vendors would be setting up on Wednesday, March 25.
Making that post was Courtney Cordes of LaFollette, who operates the CC’s Cakes & Creations stand, selling homemade baked goods.
“We heard it was going to be good weather, so a few of us got together and decided to show up to get the season started,” Cordes said at her stand last Wednesday afternoon. “We plan to be back every week, and we’re expecting more vendors to begin showing up.”
Patricia Nora of Clinton was there with her booth, called Nora’s Nest, selling a collection of home-canned foods and baked goods. Other vendors included a booth selling plants.
The market is in the same spot as previous years, on Norris Square in front of Norris Middle School.
Although there won’t be much produce available in the early weeks, the Norris vendors say there will be plenty of items for sale.
The market is expecting to see a couple of meat vendors from last year, and there will be flowers, sourdough vendors, homemade baked goods, jams, jellies, crafts, jewelry, and even eggs, they said.
The Norris operation is an open market and does not require registration, but all vendors must create, make, or grow what they sell, according to city regulations. No reselling is allowed.
Crafts are always welcome as long as they are made by the vendors, market coordinator Mindy Wells said last year.
“But no multilevel marketing products are allowed, and this is not a flea market,” Wells said. “It’s a very loose market, and it always starts out slowly.
“But the city doesn’t want anyone reselling anything,” she said. “It’s basically farm to consumer, with no middleman involved.”
