The wait to purchase locally grown produce and other items is nearly over.
Area farmers markets will open for the season in May, with most offering weekly shopping opportunities.
The Arnold Farmers Market; Cedar Hill Farmers and Vendors Market; De Soto Farmers Market; Herculaneum Farmer Market and Peace Pantry Cedar Hill Farmers and Flea Market will hold grand openings on May 4. The Arnold and De Soto markets will hold pre-season markets from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 27.
The Arnold market will be open every Saturday through Nov. 9, and the Cedar Hill and De Soto markets will be open every Saturday through Oct. 26. The Herculaneum market will be open every Saturday through Sept. 28, and the Peace Pantry market will be open on the first Saturday of every month through Oct. 5.
The Hillsboro Farmers Market is scheduled to have its grand opening on May 8, and it will be open every Wednesday through Oct. 9.
The Fenton Community and Farmers Market will open for the season on May 16, and it will be open every Thursday, except for July 4, through Sept. 26.
The Wildwood Farmers Market will open for the season on May 25, and it will be open every Saturday, except for Sept. 23, through Oct. 5.
Here is a look at what area markets have in store for this season:
Arnold
All vendors at the Arnold Farmers Market, which is near the entrance of Arnold City Park at 1 Bradley Beach Road off Jeffco Boulevard near the Meramec River, will have access to electricity this year.
Market master Teresa Kohut said the city added power sources to 13 booths, giving all 58 market booths access to electricity.
“If you have someone who needs refrigeration or freezers, or something as simple as running a fan during the summer, it is very helpful to have it (a power source) at their booth,” she said.
Kohut said she expects to have 58 vendors at every market, which are held from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday from May 4 through Nov. 9. She said typically between 1,000 to 1,500 customers shop at the market each day it’s open.
“We have continued to have very good attendance at the markets,” she said. “We are hoping for growth.”
Each Arnold market day will feature a variety of farmers, craft makers and food vendors. The market will hold a Strawberry Festival on May 18, Tractor Show on June 15, Peach Festival on July 20, Salsa Festival on Aug. 10, Apple Festival on Sept. 14 and Pumpkin Festival on Oct. 19.
“I am so looking forward to this season,” Kohut said. “We want it to be something people in the community can be proud of and enjoy going to during the season.”
Kohut said she expects the market to raise more than $20,000 for the city this year after it raised about $15,000 last year.
She said Arnold also will hold winter markets on Dec. 14, Jan. 11, Feb. 8 and March 8.
For more information about the Arnold market, call 636-282-6686, email arnoldfarmersmarket@gmail.com, go to the market’s page on arnoldmo.org or to its Facebook page.
Cedar Hill
Shoppers have a pair of markets to visit in Cedar Hill.
The Cedar Hill Farmers and Vendors Market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays from May 4 through Oct. 26 at Big River VFW Post 5331, 1 Lynn Lane.
In addition, the Peace Pantry Cedar Hill Farmers and Flea Market will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month from May 4 through Oct. 5 at 8100 S. Industrial Drive.
Marilyn Enlow, the Cedar Hill market master, said she expects to have at least 20 vendors selling produce, baked goods, meat, soap and handcrafted items on market days. She said the market averages about 300 customers.
Enlow said she posts a list of vendors expected to be at the market on Wednesdays on the market’s Facebook page.
“I have several new vendors coming this year,” she said. “I have several new bakers coming in. This is our third year, and we are still growing. We are up against several established markets in the area, and we are competing with them.”
Enlow said vendor fees are collected for the VFW Post, and the market raised about $4,500 for the organization last year.
“VFW uses the money to help fund its Fourth of July fireworks display and other programs,” she said.
For more information, go to the Cedar Hill Farmers and Vendors Market Facebook page or email auntiemern@yahoo.com.
The Peace Pantry market days are held on the Thrift Store’s $2 clothing bag sales days, said Michaella Landrum-March, one of the Peace Pantry market masters.
“It is a peak time for sales at the thrift store and a peak time for sales at the market,” she said. “We both kind of provide each other customers to make it a big event.”
Landrum-March said she expects to have 33 vendors each month at the Peace Pantry, which does not charge vendors to rent space.
“I am looking forward to this season,” Landrum-March said. “I think it will be great. This is our second season of having the facility that holds 33 vendors, and I think it will be a great season.”
For more information about the Peace Pantry Cedar Hill Farmers and Flea Market call 636-285-0934 or go to the market’s Facebook page.
De Soto
For the first time, the De Soto Farmers Market, operated by Get Healthy De Soto, will include a community garden this year.
Shay Politte, the market manager, said the garden is behind the market building at 520 N. Main St. The De Soto market is open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May 4 through Oct. 26.
“We are very excited,” Politte said. “It should be a good size community garden. We will do lessons for kids on planting and harvesting during the markets.”
The market also has POP (Power of Produce) Club and kids market programs.
POP is open to children ages 4 through 12 and requires registration. The club provides activities for children during market days, and each child receives $2 to spend on produce at the market.
Kids markets will be held the third Saturday of every month, when children ages 5 to 16 will sell items at the market.
The market accepts EBT cards, and shoppers using EBT are eligible for a double-up food box.
“It is great,” Politte said. “Customers using EBT will receive double the amount of money. If they spend $5, we will give them $10 worth of food. They can receive a maximum of $25 each week.”
Shay said each market is expected to have between 20 to 25 venders, and typically 150 to 200 customers shop each week. The market will hold a Fall Festival and Tractor show on Sept. 21 and a costume contest on Oct. 26.
“I am super excited,” she said. “This is my first year managing, and I am learning a lot. My ultimate goal is to grow this market and make it a destination. We want to start bringing in different attractions throughout the season like bands, a petting zoo and things like that.”
Shay said the market will hold its annual farm-to-table fundraiser dinner in September.
“Last year, there were 260 people at the event,” she said. “It is an amazing dinner. Everything is locally grown and sourced. It is a good time to get together with everyone who supports the market, and you get a good meal.”
For more information, call 636-543-0966 or go to gethealthydesoto.org or the market’s Facebook page.
Fenton
The Fenton Community and Farmers Market is returning for a second season.
The market, which did not operate in 2022, will be held from 4:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursdays from May 16 through Sept. 26 at the Meramec Greenway Pavilion in Fenton City Park, 995 Larkin Williams Road.
Emma Brown, Fenton Parks and Recreation Department recreation supervisor, said the market is starting a half hour later and ending a half hour earlier this season because of feedback from vendors.
“It allows vendors, most of whom are working, to have a little more time to get down there, set up and be ready to greet the customers,” she said. “Also, as the season continues, we are not worried about the sun going down too soon.”
Brown said the market is expected to have 14 vendors each week and between 100 and 200 customers shop during each market.
She said a vendors list for each week will be posted on Monday or Tuesday on the market’s Facebook page.
“We are building up traffic and getting some great vendors,” she said. “It is another building year. Each week we have live music, which is awesome.”
For more information, call 636-349-8155, email farmersmarket@fentonmo.org or go to the Parks and Recreation Department page at fentonmo.org or the market’s Facebook page.
“I think it will be really successful this year,” Brown said. “We have some great returning vendors, and with the new vendors coming in, I think that will entice people to get down there. People are excited to get down to the park and shop local.”
Herculaneum
Market master Rena Klahs said she expects the Herculaneum Farmers Market to attract more vendors and customers this year with the market moving to Saturday.
The market will be held from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May 4 through Sept. 28. It will be held primarily at Herculaneum City Park, 776 Joachim Ave., but because of other events scheduled on those days at the park, markets on Sept. 14 and 28 will be held at Bates Memorial Park, 700 Joachim Ave.
The market previously was held on Tuesdays.
“It is a huge move for us,” Klahs said. “Last year, we had maybe six to 10 vendors every week, and I had 20 vendors lined up before the market started this year. We will have a lot more to offer the public. I expect (the market) to grow as the season goes on.”
Klahs said each vendors will sell produce, handcrafted items and baked goods.
“We have several new bakers who all offer different items,” she said. “We have a sourdough baker. We have someone who makes bagels. We have someone who makes cinnamon rolls.
“We have a lot of people with handmade crafts. There also are people who make wood art and metal art. I am excited that we have a diverse number of vendors this year.”
Klahs said the Jefferson County Health Department is expected to be at each market with its smoothie bike, a stationary bike that is pedaled to blend a smoothie.
“It was a lot of fun last year,” she said. “We are very excited that it will be back this year. People loved it.”
Klahs said the market averaged about 130 customers when it was held during the week, but she expects that number to at least double with the move to Saturdays.
“When I told people that we were moving to Saturday, they were very excited,” she said. “A lot of people said, ‘Yes, I can finally go.’ It will also help not being out there in the afternoon during those hot summer months.”
For more information call 636-282-8366, email herkymarket@gmail.com or go to the market’s Facebook page.
Hillsboro
Shoppers will have nutrition education opportunities this year at the Hillsboro Farmers Market, which is held 3:30-6 p.m. on Wednesdays from May 8 through Oct. 9 at Bridle Ridge Acres, 200 Bridle Ridge Lane.
“This year we are going to have the Missouri Extension Office nutritionist do demonstrations about healthy foods,” market master Carmelita Davidson said. “The nutritionist will be there a couple of times this season.”
Davidson said she expects to have eight to 10 vendors at each market, which typically has about 50 customers each week.
“I think for a Wednesday, we attracted a good number of customers,” she said. “We get customers while school is still going on because a lot of parents usually stop by after school lets out. We also get customers from the (Jefferson County) Courthouse.”
Davidson said Julie Ott Produce and Tri-Pointe Farm, which sells meat, eggs, poultry and sandwiches, are expected to return to the market this season.
In addition, vendors selling herbs, soap, jams, jellies, baked goods and homemade purses will be at each market.
“It is kind of hard for us to recruit (vendors) because it is during the week,” she said. “We are strictly local. Our radius is 75 miles. It gives small businesses a chance to grow. We charge $10 per week for a space.”
Davidson said she enjoys the market’s community atmosphere.
“It is a way to see people and talk about what is going on in the community,” she said. “You also may meet someone you haven’t seen in a long time.”
For more information, call 314-650-3830 or 636-262-0725 or go to the market’s Facebook page.
Wildwood
The Wildwood Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays from May 25 through Oct. 5. A market will not be held on Sept. 23 during Celebrate Wildwood.
The market is located at 221 Plaza Drive, and it typically features more than 20 vendors, market manager Natalie McAvoy said.
“What is great is it is easy walking distance for a lot of people,” she said. “There is great food and nice artisan vendors. I hear nothing but really good praise from the customers. People love it.”
McAvoy said vendors sell a variety of seasonal produce, pasture-raised beef, pork, chicken and eggs, mushrooms, superfood microgreens, granola, coffee, tea, cut flowers, sourdough breads, spices, dog treats, house plants, succulents and flowers.
She also said the market has numerous artisan vendors who sell bird houses, candles, incense, soaps, handcrafted wood products, jewelry and handmade baskets.
There are food vendors selling breakfast burritos and sandwiches, microgreen salads, wraps, fried chicken tenders, fried catfish and salsa and chips.
“We have a wide variety of vendors,” McAvoy said. “Everything is all-natural stuff, which is great. People are happy there is a big variety.”
McAvoy said a few hundred customers shop each week at the market.
“You have people who come in right when we open to get the vegetables, and people continue to come in throughout the day,” she said. “People are excited and can’t wait for the market to open. My goal is to expand every year and bring in new food items. We have coffees and one person who sells salsa this year.”
Go to cityofwildwood.com/180/Farmers-Market or the market’s Facebook page for more information, or email farmersmarket@cityofwildwood.com.