Kudos to the Danville Town Council for pushing ahead to schedule a season of Thursday evening farmers markets, which will take place April through October.
The Saturday morning farmers market is a popular staple in town. Residents from Danville and the surrounding communities patronize it for seasonal produce, advice from farmers on preparation tips, and various fresh-baked goods.
But the town wanted to explore a second weekly market for several reasons:
* Not everyone is available Saturday mornings to attend the market;
* A weekday event would draw more people to downtown Danville; and
* Providing a second farmers market would be a service to residents who are fans of the open-market shopping experience.
The trial run on five Thursday evenings in September on Hartz Avenue clarified some issues, and its shortcomings have been addressed.
First, the new Thursday market will be held in the parking lot adjacent to Andronico’s, behind the Museum of the San Ramon Valley, where the Saturday market takes place so patrons are familiar with the location. Also, moving the market away from Hartz allows it to co-exist with other downtown activities, perhaps even creating synergies, and the market in the parking lot does not necessitate closing a street.
Second, the evening market will begin in the spring, when each lovely day seems longer than the one before and people want to be outdoors. By fall, the new farmers market should be well established.
These issues were addressed by the town’s Economic Vitality Committee, Discover Danville and the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce, groups dedicated to tweaking the weekday farmers market to make it a success. If a Thursday evening farmers market ultimately does not thrive, no one will be able to say they did not explore every option. Congratulations to the town for its commitment to making a Thursday evening farmers market happen.
