EUGENE, Ore. — The 55th annual Eugene Farmers Market season kicked off April 6, with hundreds of people from all over the region braving the spring weather to attend the event.
“It’s so nice to see everyone getting back together with friends and family and supporting local business owners and artisans. What I really like is the kind of ecosystem effect that comes with coming back. It really means that “spring has come.'' It's a new year. The possibilities are just floating around,” said Renee Thompson, marketing manager for Eugene Saturday Market.
More than 360 craftsmen are employed at this season's Saturday market. On April 6, more than 200 vendors sold handmade art, food, produce, and a variety of other items. Five local musicians performed on the Market His stage throughout the day.
Thompson said many of the booths have been participating in the market for several years, and some have been participating for decades. But she also said she's always trying to bring in new artists.
“You know, we're just trying to make sure that there's an accessible platform for people to display their artwork, and it doesn't matter if you've just started working on something this year or you've been doing art for 10 or 15 years. I'm tinkering with it. It's really great to see people grow and evolve in their craft,” Thompson said.
Thompson said Saturday Market is still accepting applications for artisans. She said their main requirement is that the crafts be handmade. For more information, please visit the Saturday Market website.
