Zionsville Farmers Market Turns 25
Writer / Julie Yates
Photographer/ Zoe Dolack
Summertime in Boone County means plenty of good weather to leisurely visit the Village shops and take advantage of outdoor restaurant seating. It’s also the season for the popular Zionsville Farmers Market, which presents the chance to support local growers while enjoying live music and activities. This year marks an important milestone for the market, which is held on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. through September 24.
“This will be the market’s 25th anniversary season,” says Danielle Pezet, president of the Zionsville Farmers Market. “We are planning a few special ways to celebrate including an anniversary party at the market on August 13. The market’s location on Zionsville’s historic Main Street bricks was a huge success for our vendors and community last season, and you will find us there again this year between Pine and Hawthorne.”
The market is selling 25th anniversary T-shirts, in addition to other T-shirts sold at the central booth. The special T-shirts are $25, and 5% of the proceeds are donated to the Zionsville Food Pantry. The rest of the profits go toward the general running and improvement of the market.
Besides the August 13 anniversary party, many other unique events are planned for the season. This year a mascot named Cornelius was introduced. Each week Cornelius is hidden somewhere in the market. As they shop, families are on the lookout to see who can find him.
The market expanded this year. Two new produce vendors were added, along with nine more booths with baked goods and other food products. A new event space, a blood drive, kids’ crafts and activities, in addition to animals such as puppies and ponies to pet, are all unique to the market’s milestone year. There will also be free food giveaways such as grilled corn, which was provided by My Dad’s Sweet Corn in July.
Service organizations will be hosted each week at the community service booth in order to raise awareness of the work they do. IU Health will be present monthly to provide expert insight on a variety of topics including mental health, women’s health, and creating a healthy lifestyle. Regular updates on each week’s market happenings are posted on Instagram and Facebook.
“Zionsville Chamber of Commerce is a strategic partner with the market,” says Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Allyson Gutwein. “They have been fantastic to help us highlight the Merchant of the Week program. Anyone who brings a reusable tote gets a raffle ticket for what a specific merchant is giving away that week. It’s a fantastic community to work with. The vendors bring people to town, to shop and lunch. We look forward to continuing to partner with our local Main Street merchants to sponsor our Bring Your Bag to Market giveaway.”
The market welcomes volunteers. Three volunteers are needed for each of the day’s two shifts. It’s a great opportunity for students to accumulate service hours, and an enjoyable way to see friends and neighbors while contributing to a Zionsville tradition. Those interested can sign up on the Zionsville Farmers Market website.
The market is located on the bricks of Main Street in Zionsville between Pine and Hawthorne streets. For more info, visit zionsvillefarmersmarket.org, email farmersmarketzionsville@gmail.com or call 317-478-4107.
