Farmers Market at Gateway Permanently
Hooray!
A majority of the Port Angeles Farmers Market’s vendors has voted to make Gateway their permanent location. Several longtime vendors who voted not to relocate, will not be joining the market at Gateway.
City Manager Kent Myers said the Gateway pavilion will be reserved on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the Farmers Market in a contract (which hasn’t been signed yet).
And speaking of farmers markets and the revitalization of downtown: My wife and I were in Olympia yesterday and the day before. That city has a huge thriving farmers market which is open four days a week. It’s part of a much larger downtown/waterfront complex of pedestrian walkways, shops and restaurants.
I’ve heard that Olympia used to be a lot more rundown and crime-ridden; that these changes are recent. I wouldn’t know, but if that’s true, the city has sure fixed itself up. Olympia’s population is just over 40,000 (according to the 2000 census) — just a little more than twice Port Angeles’ population.
A majority of the Port Angeles Farmers Market’s vendors has voted to make Gateway their permanent location. Several longtime vendors who voted not to relocate, will not be joining the market at Gateway.
City Manager Kent Myers said the Gateway pavilion will be reserved on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the Farmers Market in a contract (which hasn’t been signed yet).
And speaking of farmers markets and the revitalization of downtown: My wife and I were in Olympia yesterday and the day before. That city has a huge thriving farmers market which is open four days a week. It’s part of a much larger downtown/waterfront complex of pedestrian walkways, shops and restaurants.
I’ve heard that Olympia used to be a lot more rundown and crime-ridden; that these changes are recent. I wouldn’t know, but if that’s true, the city has sure fixed itself up. Olympia’s population is just over 40,000 (according to the 2000 census) — just a little more than twice Port Angeles’ population.
Labels: Gateway pavilion, Kent Myers, Olympia Farmers Market, Port Angeles Farmers Market
posted by Tom Harper at 12:05 PM
14 Comments:
Another small step in making this town slightly less stubbornly backwards.
I find it hard to believe that Olympia only has forty thousand monkeys in it. But maybe the city limits to go out all that far?
I don't like big cities, I like little towns where I can be a big fish in a small pond.
Maybe a farmers market here would do okay, I don't know. The Pike Street market in Seattle sure is popular.
Of course they act crazy over there and the city leaders here don't seem to like to see others enjoying them that way.
This town is boring but I'll go to Port Townsend next month and have some fun.
I think they should have stayed at the Courthouse parking lot. There is plenty of easy parking, and easy set up for the vendors.
I wonder how many of the vendors there are that we are losing? Where are they going to go?
How many potential patrons do you figure live within a half hours' drive of Olympia?
How many potential patrons live within an hours' drive of Port Angeles?
Think that might be relevant?
I also prefer the Courthouse lot over the Gateway location, for ease and proximity of parking and for safety reasons. The Gateway is primarily a transit center --- with buses coming and going and driving over the sidewalks to get to/from the bus-boarding points. Not a very safe environment for mixing with lots of pedestrian shoppers and little kids.
I would like to see the Farmers Market return to the downtown, but not to the Gateway. I have an idea --- how about closing off Laurel St. for a few hours so the market can set up there?!?
I'd say Olympia is a lot more vibrant to begin with. It's also the state capitol (so it can get more money) and is on the I-5 corridor (so people can commute elsewhere to work if need be). It's got a four year university. I remember when I visited I walked along its marina. We have nothing like that here.
It's a nice revitalization story, and there's probably a lot P.A. can learn from them. Unfortunately, I think P.A. has a lot more to overcome than Olympia did.
BBC: Olympia may only have 40,000 in it, but Lacey and Tumwater borders it, as well as unincorporated Thurston County and Yelm and Tenino. That'll increase the number of monkeys by a lot.
Anon 10:51. I was walking down Oak St the other day... You know, where the buses used to be... and was wondering why the Farmer's Market couldn't go along there. The sidewalk is wide enough now that the bus shelters are gone, you can block off parking on that side, and there's a blocked off sinkhole or something that would give more space. The Dawg Cart already has a bit of a space there which shows a tented business can work. No street would be blocked, there's parking on Railroad, Oak and Front. And that would get something along that street.
the vendors can always come to that new market (the one the newspaper never talks about) the Port Angeles Community Market that is on Sundays and uses the bus transit lanes at the Gateway.
Maybe it's time for a new market on a new day?
I'll bet Edna's knickers are in a twist over this latest development!
I was wondering what all that racket in town was with sirens and choppers buzzing around. Helen just told me a bank was held up, interesting shit.
Yeah, real Bonnie and Clyde stuff!
No, just Clyde...
we ned to git tha farmurs markit out of tha gatway. thats my bedrum.
Not all vendors will be able to vend there. On September 25th Princess Valiant Coffee was terminated as a vendor for disagreeing with the PA Farmers Market Board's decision to move the Market to the Gateway. She had decided to go ahead and do it, given encouragement of customers and vendors, and asked for an outside spot to vend so that loading and unloading would be easier. The PAFM Board responded by evicting her from the group of vendors. So much for freedom of speech.
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