What a tumultuous time poor Normal Heights has had getting its own farmer’s market. Folks there and in adjoining Talmadge have been talking about launching one for more than 4 years, and they identified a promising site on 40th Street just south of Adams Avenue, next to the southbound Interstate 15 on-ramp. But Caltrans owns that property, and legal limitations on what could be done on it kept the project tied up for ages. Last fall it looked as if a work-around had been found, and a launch date of March 12 was announced. But just a few days before the opening, CalTrans got cold feet about traffic from the nearby I-15 off-ramp.
At the 11th hour, a temporary location was found in a Rite-Aid parking lot. The next week merchants shifted to the grounds of John Adams Elementary School, just south of the intersection of Adams and 35th Street. The market’s website says the market will be operating there from 3 p.m. to sunset through the summer (and an hour earlier in the fall). Yesterday a few merchants still hadn’t gotten the word of the move. They showed up at the initial location, only then learned about the new one, and had to scramble to get over to it and set up. But when I arrived, just after 3 p.m., the turnout still looked respectable, with not just produce and flowers in evidence, but also two fish vendors, one meat merchant, dessertiers, cheesemongers, and more.
Customers seemed to be finding the vendors too, and if it can just settle in there, it surely will build. Three cheers.
The photos look impressive. I’ll send this to my friends in that area.