Eats & Beats: New Farmers Market Kicks off in Harvey Park
Cracked eggs on a blacktop, colorful jams, the aroma of fresh-cut flowers, children running around playing, the earthy smell of the dirt in plant starters, morning coffee and thoughtful conversation: The sights and sounds of a farmers market. Last weekend, the southwest Denver community was buzzing at the inaugural Harvey Park Farmers Market, and for four hours on a Saturday, an otherwise empty school parking lot transformed into a natural incubator for the exchange of fresh produce, food education, and human connection.
Organizers Allie Bronston and Corey Sampson, educators and longtime Harvey Park residents, designed the market with their neighborhood fully in mind. When building out their standing vendor list, they brought on growers, ranchers, and food vendors in the neighborhood as much as they could before reaching out to Colorado food vendors outside the area to fill in the remaining gaps. As the first farmers market in the neighborhood, The Harvey Park Farmers Market hopes to help address an ongoing lack of fresh food accessibility in southwest Denver. Additionally, shoppers can use SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits at the market and organizers worked hard in the coming months to ensure the market was eligible for the Double Up program as well.
I got the opportunity to attend opening day and was immediately energized by the great turnout and wide variety and diversity of vendors present, some of which were already sold out or about to within the first few hours. The Harvey Park Farmers Market is a food-first market and third space, hosting a great lineup of Harvey Park-based and Colorado-based musicians through its 5 month season. On Saturday, May 2, from nine to noon, the cumbia and funk of Los Mocochetes poured over the bustling crowd below from its community stage on the upper level by the playground.
Listen in on some of the opening day energy as I caught up with organizers Allie and Corey, met a few of the vendors, and checked in with a couple of market goers to get a pulse for how this market could impact the surrounding community.
Food vendor tents will line the make-shift streets of the Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy parking lot every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through to Halloween. To stay connected, visit Harvey Park Farmers Market.
Photo credit: Harvey Park Farmers Market
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