A vendor at her bakery stall at the Dubuque Farmer's market.
Every Saturday morning at dawn, the downtown area around City Hall that stretches between Central & Main Streets on 12th & 13th steets & between Iowa Street between 11th & 14th streets starts to get filled up with vendors. These local growers who come from nearby counties bring locally grown produce to the market. The people you see selling the vegetables, baked goods, flowers and other products are most likely the people who grew them, washed them and brought them to the market.
The open-air market sells home-grown products like vegetables and fruits, bakery items, bedding, flowers and house plants, handmade arts and crafts, all produced locally. Starting from the first Saturday in May, the market goes until the last Saturday of October. The market is the oldest and the longest-running open-air market in the state. On selected Saturdays, some entertainment and special events are also featured.
The market was briefly discounted in the early 1970s due to the declining attendance. The number of vendors coming to the market to sell their products has gone down in the recent years.
Open-air market: An old phoot of the Farmer's Market at the City Hall with horse-drawn wagons on the side. (Courtesy of Loras College Archives)
Olive Steiner, a Dubuque resident who is in her 80s, has a stall in the market. Steiner said, “I’ve been coming here since I was 3 years old. The crowd has decreased steadily in the recent years.”
The market sees a lot of steady customers. The market sees crowds of thousands of customers during June and July when the garden crops ripen in great numbers. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, these are a few of the hundreds of seasonal Farmers Markets across the state. The market provides local farmers a place to sell their produce and boost the local economy. Locally produced produce draws hundreds of people every week. The vendors reserve the same spot every week. The vendors pay a seasonal pay to sell their goods. They look forward to the same customers every week.
Linda Sangston, the jolly woman who works at the Asian section at the pub, was spotted at the market. “I come here every once in awhile,” she said. “It’s good to get locally grown produce. It’s fresh, it’s healthy.”
Although modern stores have risen in the area, the tradition has continued. Nathaniel Wagner, Area Coordinator of Rohlman Hall, has been visiting the market for three years. Wagner said, “I enjoy going to the market. Familiar faces, vendors give me and my wife a relaxing morning. Moreover, these sellers who truck from different places of America give us opportunity to meet new people while at the same time supporting the community.”
The Farmers Market is a destination not to be missed, especially for tourists. Folks who haven’t visited this historical open-air market should go there. This Saturday is the last day of the market before it closes for six months. So, get some cookies, some fresh vegetables or fruit and don’t forget to say goodbye to the people from whom you buy these things, for they will be back to see you next season.
