Crystal City is once more the home of a weekly farmers market.
Emily Riddick, 23, of Festus organized the Crystal City Farmers Market, which opened on July 20. The market will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays in the Huxco Construction parking lot at 102 N. Truman Blvd.
Riddick, who owns an at-home bakery called Tiny Treatz, said she was inspired to organize the farmers market after she began looking for one where she could sell her baked goods and couldn’t find one close by.
Riddick said she chose the Crystal City location because of its easy access and close proximity to Truman Boulevard.
“I was trying to look for somewhere that was easy access. If you don’t have a good location, your turnout is not going to do very well because people don’t know you’re there,” she said.
Riddick said about a dozen vendors took part in the market’s first Sunday. The second Sunday for the Crystal City Farmers Market, on July 27, will be themed “Christmas in July.” A “summer Santa” will be at the event and vendors are encouraged to offer Christmas-themed items for sale. She also hopes to play Christmas-themed music.
“I’m hoping to bring a little Christmas cheer in the middle of summer,” she said.
Riddick said she hopes to attract more vendors as people become aware of the market, and she believes she will have room for up to 25, depending on whether the market has any special events that week, such as a bounce house or food truck.
She said she chose to hold the Crystal City Farmers Market on Sunday because most other farmers markets are on Saturdays, adding that having it on Sundays gives vendors a second opportunity during the week to sell their wares. She also thought it would be a good opportunity to catch shoppers as they were driving to and from church services.
“Most of the people who go to church are normally done by 11 or 12, and so I did it from 9 to 1 so that people who do go to church can also come after church or between services,” she said.
Riddick said she is seeking vendors who sell eggs, produce, honey, meat and other traditional farm products but is open to renting spots to other vendors, such as artisans and crafters. She said she hopes to have just a few vendors from each category so vendors don’t have too much competition.
“I’m not looking to overdo it with one thing because I want everybody there to do well. In order to have everybody do well, I can’t really have multiple of the same items,” she said.
Riddick said she believes many people are interested in buying locally grown food items and wants to make it easier for them to find those items.
“You can’t just look up who sells tomatoes. So I’m trying to make it where farmers and gardeners can be known and get more customers because there are so many of them out there trying to make extra money who are really struggling,” she said.
Riddick said the vendor fee is $15, which will help pay for the cost to rent the lot for the event.
She said her goal for the market is to support local vendors and bring the community together.
“In our area, there are a lot of people who have a lot of hidden talents. I’m just trying to bring the community together, to show people’s creative skills, and for the people who might be struggling economically, to give them a chance to basically survive,” Riddick said. “There are people out there, a lot of them, either doing it for extra money or trying to save up to start their own business so they can quit their full-time job. So I’m trying to support everybody’s dreams.”
To sign up to be a vendor, call or text 314-425-9107 or email farmersmarketcrystalcity@gmail.com.