The Haymarket Farmers’ Market officially blew the whistle to open the 2011 season on Saturday, May 7th to hundreds of eager attendees who had anxiously awaited all winter long to get their hands on fresh produce and handmade goods. The vendors spent the last few months working in their fields, kitchens, and craft rooms in preparation for this early-morning ritual that they will return to each week until the market season ends on October 15th.
The Market is a family-friendly experience that offers local, regional, and international flavors for everyone to enjoy. The sights, sounds, smells, and free samples make the trip worth the effort of waking up early on a Saturday morning. More than 150 vendors setup shop in the Haymarket between 7th, 8th, and Q Streets to sell their goods from 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Take a moment to chat with a market vendor as you stroll through the Haymarket on an early Saturday morning, and you’ll get a taste of the passion, knowledge and energy that goes into every jar of honey, bouquet of flowers, bunch of asparagus, and handmade toy that is sold. Stop for a moment to ask a few questions and you may just meet a man named Buzz who just so happens to have a passion for bees, a mother who started the family farming business so she could stay home with her kids, a husband and wife team that is establishing their roots in Nebraska and watching their business take flight, or a young entrepreneur who is handcrafting her business one super hero cape at a time.
You may also see Kevin Shinn, owner of Bread & Cup on 8th & S Street, as he browses the fresh produce and locally-raised meat products to select items for his menu.
“The Farmers’ Market is what helped us get started and helped advertise and market our business. We had a booth there just to familiarize people with our name, our product and our faces. Every week, people would come by and ask if we were open yet. It really helped us get our name out there in the very beginning”, Shinn explains.
Read the full stories of the three-part Farmers’ Market series by visiting downtownlincoln.org
Recent and ongoing developments spotlight the reoccurring vitality of downtown Lincoln
Last month resulted in a large amount of building improvements and alterations, leading to an investment of $486,600 in downtown construction projects. This includes $332,600 worth of retail enhancements, $125,000 worth of residential enhancements and $29,000 worth of office improvements.
Downtown Business News
Duo Shoes Grand Opening Downtown’s newest shoe store, owned by Betsy Sperling and Nicole DeWald, was designed and built by Robert Krumel from Roger Holmes Workshop, and offers a diverse assortment of shoes from different companies including Restricted, GoMax, Mixx and Libby Shoes.
“Duo Shoes is a boutique that specializes in the most current styles of shoes and accessories in women’s fashion. Duo recognizes a woman’s desire to own several pairs of shoes; therefore, prices accommodate all fashion-conscious shoppers,” Sperling says.
In addition to selling shoes, Duo also sells an array of accessories including jewelry, handbags, wallets, belts and scarves. Sperling says they’ll also sell other items like socks and leggings when winter rolls around.
“We love being located downtown. Downtown has a lot of energy and it is invigorating to be a part of it. The best part about being downtown is working with the other downtown businesses, and the owners of these businesses are very encouraging of our endeavor. They often come to visit and even send their customers to our store. It is so wonderful to be a part of such an amazing and supportive community.”
Visit Duo Shoes at 13th & O Street next to Walgreens Monday through Saturday 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
by Terry Uland, President
Downtown Lincoln Association
www.downtownlincoln.org
402-434-6900
Founded in 1967, the Downtown Lincoln Association provides services and champions initiatives for maintaining and enhancing our vibrant downtown. Our vision is to create an energetic downtown environment where we live, learn, work, invest and play. DLA has evolved into a multi-faceted organization supporting a wide range of programs and activities including maintenance, economic development and advocacy. For a complete listing of downtown businesses, events and residences visit downtownlincoln.org. ‘Like’ us on Facebook at facebook.com/downtownlincoln.