Rain or shine, the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market will have its grand opening Saturday morning.
Things will get underway at 7 a.m. and run until 10 a.m., according to Anne Freeze, one of the market’s organizers. The market is at Second Street and Second Avenue North.
Asked Thursday what type of items will be available, Freeze said tomatoes, various greens, beets, eggs, strawberries, canned good, homemade chocolates, baked goods, plants, flowers, honey, arts and crafts.
The one thing all the items have in common is that they were all made or grown by the vendor in Lowndes County, or within 50 miles of the county.
“Supporting the farmers’ market keeps money in our area, supports a very basic form of commerce, puts a roof over the head of these people,” Freeze said. “For many of them, this is their main or only source of income.”
Freeze said each year new vendors and products join the market.
“The growers try to meet the customer’s needs,” she said. “If you are hoping the market vendors will carry a certain vegetable, you need to become a market regular and ask for that product.”
Freeze expects several hundred people to attend. Suzuki Strings will perform live music.
While the market has been open the past several weekends, Saturday marks the beginning of three-day-a-week markets — Mondays 4-6 p.m., Thursdays 7-10 a.m., and Saturdays 7-10 a.m.
Organizers say that as the growing season advances, the number of vendors and amount of produce will swell.
See the season schedule at the market’s new website, hitchinglot.org. For information on how to become a vendor contact Main Street Columbus, 662-328-6305, or visit the Farmers’ Market link at columbusmainstreet.com.
Dispatch Lifestyles editor Jan Swoope contributed to this report.
William Browning was managing editor for The Dispatch until June 2016.
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