Eastern Iowa Farmers Market season kicks off with big changes to area events

Farmers market season is officially here, and with 46 markets around Eastern Iowa, there's plenty of news.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market is celebrating its 10th season, NewBo City Market is unveiling evening markets and North Liberty is expanding its market offerings. Here's what you need to know.

Rock the Block

Instead of Saturday morning markets outside this summer, NewBo City Market will host 10 evening markets, on the second and fourth Fridays, May through September, from 4 to 8 p.m.

NewBo City Market Executive Director Kristie Wetjen says the change from morning to evening and different day is a way to give the farmers market concept a new twist.

'There's a great farmers market in Cedar Rapids, and we don't want to compete with them,' she says. 'This is our third summer of having a farmers market, and we wanted to do something different.'

Farmers markets in Eastern Iowa

Click to find a farmers market near you.

She says the evening market will have a greater focus on live entertainment, and patrons will be able to purchase food, beer and wine alongside products from produce and artisan vendors.

There also will be a Rock the Block Youth Market for kids ages 12 to 17 who have a product they want to sell on site. An informational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at NewBo City Market for interested children. Register for the meeting by emailing Kristie Wetjen at kristie@newbocitymarket.com. Applications to participate in the Youth Market are due May 15.

Live demonstrations in the learning garden and in the Kirkwood Culinary Kitchen inside the market also will take place during Rock the Block. Wetjen says she hopes other neighborhood businesses will get involved as well.

'We really just want it to be a big block party,' she says. 'We're really looking for a way to turn the idea of the farmers market on its head.'

North Liberty Market expands

North Liberty's Penn Landing farmers market launched in August last year with markets twice a month. The short season was such a success, says market manager Lesley Triplett, they're expanding to weekly markets this summer. The market, at the Pacha Parkway by Highway 965 and Penn Street, kicks off Sunday and will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Sunday until the end of October.

This year's market will feature more produce vendors than last year, weekly live music, kids activities and additional seating to accompany food vendors — Wagyu Wagon, Caribbean Kitchen, Wildwood Smokehouse and Dumpling Darling.

Corridor markets kick off

In Linn and Johnson counties, the Iowa City, Coralville, Marion, Ely, Mount Vernon and Noelridge Cedar Rapids farmers markets all kick off this week. Hiawatha's market kicked off April 26, and Oxford's will begin May 11.

The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market, hosted by the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, will begin June 6, with markets the first and third Saturday of June, July, August and September, along with a special night market Aug. 29. The Marion Chamber of Commerce hosts the Uptown Marion Market June 13, July 11, Aug. 8 and Sept. 26 in City Square Park.