Someone has turned the goofy meter to 11. As the farmers’ markets in this town get cooler by the day, the Sunset Valley market seems to be spiraling out of control. After getting their high school parking lot space yanked from them, they were slated to move to a strip of grass on the shoulder of highway 290. Apparently, they thought a wiser choice was to move to a mall. Starting March 20th, their new home will be the North East corner of the Barton Creek Square mall parking lot. Next to Dillard’s (tasty). Nothing says local and sustainable more than a mall parking lot. Luckily, the mall will be open during the market, so parking should be a breeze. The good news is you can get all your shopping done at one location! That is, if you are shopping for locally grown, organic micro-greens and a cookie the size of your head.
UPDATE: This is probably what should have happened a long time ago. Below is from the Sustainable Food Center’s blog…
Sustainable Food Center (SFC), a local non-profit, has answered to the call from the farming and small local business community to keep a farmers’ market at Sunset Valley. SFC will begin operating a Saturday farmers’ market next week under a temporary permit, March 20, pending approval by the Sunset Valley city council. A majority of the vendors from the previous Sunset Valley Farmers Market will be continuing to sell in the Toney Burger Center area and adjacent Pillow Street. Some farmers who have only been at SFC’s Austin Farmers’ Market downtown will now be at both locations. Now called the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley, the market will feature about 50 vendors to start, with a majority of them farmers. There will also be quality ready-to-eat and value added vendors, as well as a small group of artisans.
Thanks to Alice and Addie for getting me up to the minute!
Barton Creek Farmer’s Market (formerly Sunset Valley, formerly Westlake)
Saturday 9am – 1pm, NE corner Barton Creek Square Mall parking lot
SFC Sunset Valley Farmers’ Market : Saturday 9am – 1pm, Toney Burger Center
Good to know. Suzanne told me on Saturday that it wasn’t a done deal yet for them at the Toney Burger Center. I guess it is now. I will update my post.
Don’t believe everything that’s being said. We don’t know how many stalls are moving, but some of us are staying in Sunset Valley and planning to continue and grow there as a market!
As I wrote on our website today:
“Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market” is a business name that somebody actually owns. They could move it to the moon and only have one vendor, and it would still be called “Sunset Valley Farmer’s Market.” Bonkers? We agree.
Please come to Sunset Valley as usual next weekend and support the vendors who are committed to staying- whatever non-trademarked name we end up using! Thank you! 🙂
The Sustainable Food Center will be starting a new market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.w on Saturday in the Toney Burger Activity Center lot. Many of the vendors are switching markets to stay in the same place. http://bit.ly/dk49CW
I feel like with the huge influx of new Austinites every year this will be the new trend in “Keep Austin Weird”. Unfortunately not at all the same as it was originally intended 🙁
There is lots of chatter about who’s moving and who’s staying in the comment thread to the KVUE story. Interesting!
Does anyone have the link for the KVUE story with comments? I can only find one without comments. Thanks!
Didn’t anyone tell you that locally grown veggies balance out impervious cover? It’s like drinking diet Coke with a triple cheeseburger. Totally works.
Ok, so now we have 2 Farmers Markets where there was one. What’s not to like about that? I wish them both the best of luck!