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Home > Archive > May 1, 2008

New Farmers Market Comes to Ancestor Square
By Cami Cox
Staff Writer
Each Saturday morning this summer, Ancestor Square will come alive with fruits, vegetables and other local goods, as well as live entertainment. It's all part of the new Downtown Farmers Market, sponsored by Randall and Nicki Richards, owners of the upscale Painted Pony restaurant in St. George.
Offering booths to local people at a cost of $5, the Downtown Farmers Market will debut on May 10, which is Mother’s Day weekend, and be open from 8 a.m. until noon. The farmers market will be open at the same time every Saturday thereafter through Nov. 1.
Nicki Richards is serving as coordinator of the open-air market.
The Downtown Farmers Market will give residents and visitors a place to gather, shop, share their wares and support the local economy all at the same time, Nicki Richards said.
“It's for the vendors, it's for the locals,” she said.
“It'll be more than just a little market – it'll be a Saturday morning event,” she added.
Richards and her husband, Randall, strive to stock their restaurant with produce purchased from local organic farmers, and it was a few of these local growers who inspired the concept for the Downtown Farmers Market.
“We have a couple of organic gardeners that we buy from in the season, and we wanted to support them and see them succeed. So that's what gave us the idea that we should be doing a farmers market in St. George, and that's how the whole idea started,” Nicki Richards said. “We have this beautiful courtyard right out here in front of us, and we thought, 'What a perfect spot.'”
In the center of Ancestor Square, which is located on Main Street between St. George Boulevard and 100 North, an area where the buildings converge boasts statues, shade trees and a even a pond. Performances and events have taken place there in the past, and the lovely and serene spot seemed just the place for the Farmers Market, Nicki Richards said.
“The setting is so beautiful. Most farmers markets take place in a parking lot, so let's take advantage of this beautiful setting,” she said.
In addition to giving local gardeners a venue for selling their produce, the Downtown Farmers Market will also be open to local craftspeople and others with homemade goods to sell.
“Originally, it was about supporting our local organic gardeners, but, of course, a farmers market is so much more,” Nicki Richards said. “It's crafts and artists and bakers. Pretty much the only condition we have is that (items sold) are homegrown or homemade, so anything local.”
She and her husband are striving to keep a balance among booths at the Downtown Farmers Market, though, she said, and they plan to reserve at least half of the vendor spaces for gardeners with fresh produce. This is to ensure that the farmers market doesn't become a flea market, she said.
Local musicians will also have a chance to share their talents at the Downtown Farmers Market, and acts are currently being booked for the upcoming months. Nicki Richards said they want to have more mellow styles of music to reflect the tone of the occasion, and interested performers should contact her.
The Downtown Farmers Market will be a wonderful place to spend a Saturday morning, she said, and those who come can sit in a beautiful, shady place, listen to music, shop, eat and enjoy the morning. In addition to offerings from the local vendors and gardeners, a bistro in Ancestor Square is also planning to sell breakfast at the Downtown Farmers Market, she said.
“We have a wonderful, eclectic community in St. George. I think everybody will be able to appreciate this, and everybody loves the idea of a farmers market,” Nicki Richards added. “I hope to see it be extremely popular.”
For more information about the Downtown Farmers Market, to schedule a booth or inquire about performing, contact Nicki Richards at 632-9515 or send an e-mail to downtownfarmersmarket@yahoo.com.

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