by Jan Lazor

Created on: July 28, 2009   Last Updated: May 23, 2011

Summer is in full swing and so is the Farmers' Market in the heart of the River Market neighborhood, just north of the loop in downtown Kansas City, Mo. Every weekend farmers, bakers and craft vendors flock to City Market with their fruits, vegetables and wares.

Long before shoppers arrive Saturday at 6:30 a.m., vendors are busy organizing displays and arranging produce and merchandise for sale. If you plan to visit the market, come early and stay late. There is much to see and do at this, the largest farmers' market in Kansas City, MO.

Market hours are 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Sunday booths open at 9:00 a.m. and close at 4:00 p.m. The City Market operates year round. During the peak season, more than 140 vendors line the market to show-off and sell their goods. Whether you are shopping for fresh produce, bakery, cut flowers, meat, cheese or bedding plants, the River Market farmers market has something for every shopping need or whim.

This year, attendance has surpassed previous market counts. Saturday crowds number between 15,000 and 17,000 people, according to statistics provided by Deb Connors, market manager at City Market. (www.kansascityrivermarket.com)

Designed as a family oriented event, the Farmer's Market provides street entertainers to keep young shoppers occupied while adults browse the various stalls. You never know what type of entertainment waits around the next corner. You may encounter a musician plying a bow to a violin or a clown creating balloon animals. Bouncy houses and jugglers have also been known to appear at City Market.

Weather conditions threatened to dampen the farming season this spring, Connors said. Rain and cold weather impacted some farmers, but City Market brings vendors from a 500 mile radius of Kansas City, she said. Since vendors come from such a large geographical area, weather conditions varied enough so the variety and quality of produce has remained high, despite the rocky start to the growing season, she said.

This year the Missouri Extension Service is available at the market to answer shoppers' questions and offer advice on cooking and preserving fresh produce. Many of the products sold at the farmers' stands also meet the guidelines for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program.

If you get hungry, while picking your way slowly through booths, there are plenty of places in City Market to satisfy the beast in your belly. If pizza tempts your taste buds, grab a slice or a whole pie at Minsky's Pizza. Winslow's Barbeque serves a tasty blend of spicy sauce and meat, or pick up a favorite item at one of several ethnic food stores in City Market.

In 2008, the Farmers' Market in City Market earned a citation as the Market of the Year from the Missouri Agricultural Department and the Missouri Farmers Market Association. Connors said the award is particularly sweet. Fifteen years ago the Farmers Market at City Market was little more than a flea market, she said. A great deal of work and effort has gone into insuring the quality of the items currently sold by the various vendors, she said, including farm visits to observe the vendors' operations.

Built in an historic district of Kansas City, the City Market has been a gathering place for sellers for more than 150 years. The historic market sits on the site of the original city hall for the city. When the building was razed, the land was given to the city with the stipulation it remain a gathering place to market goods and merchandise.

If you are looking for farm fresh produce for your family, come on down to City Market, Saturday and support your local farming community.

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