Farmers market shoppers: Gear up to move
Although the South Cape Farmers Market will close this Saturday for the season, Cape Coral residents have the opportunity to stop by the Surfside Farmers Market and the Farmers Market at Cape Harbour to shop for their weekly goods.
“We had a fantastically wonderful year,” Farmers Market Coordinator Claudia St. Onge said of the South Cape Farmers Market.
This year the market expanded to include a food truck rally element. St. Onge said they had six or seven food trucks at the weekly Saturday market, which was very well received.
Next year’s South Cape Farmers Market, which will reopen Oct. 17, will stay open an extra hour until 2 p.m., so the food vendors have another hour for lunch.
Overall, St. Onge said most of her vendors had a great season.
“The way I can usually tell is they want to come back or they don’t,” she said.
The indoor farmers market at the Shops at Surfside opened for the season Tuesday. The Surfside Farmers Market is held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday just west of Home Goods inside Suite D101.
“When we go inside we have about 35 vendors,” St. Onge said.
The assortment of goods includes produce, meat, seafood, pickles and olives, guacamole, homemade jams and jellies, flavored vinegars, an organic grower from Pine Island, cakes, cup cakes, and strudels.
This is the third year the Surfside Farmers Market has gone from an outdoor market to an indoor market.
“Every year it has grown bigger and bigger,” St. Onge said. “We had a great grand opening yesterday.”
The market is held outdoors from the last Tuesday of October through the second week of May.
The eighth annual Farmers Market at Cape Harbour is gearing up for their market between the towers on Saturday, May 23. It will be open from 8 a.m. until noon every Saturday until the end of September.
Cape Harbour Event Manager Glenda Swager said the market began because Mr. Stout always wanted a farmers market with vendors. She said it started out that the vendors were never charged to attend, but now the vendors collect money for Juke Box Hero, Chris Cammarota.
“He starts out with light sounds and then he wakes everyone up,” Swager said of the music. “It gives you that shopping excitement. It gets that flare of festivities going.”
As of Wednesday the farmers market includes 19 vendors, which Swager said increases after the South Cape Farmers Market comes to an end. The vendors include Artisan Bread Company; Blankets & Bows; By Florida Natives; C & J Produce; Diane’s Creations; Edward Jones Co.; Fetch Dog Boutique & Bakery; Dr. Harter; Heritage Pointe Honey; Lee County Elections; Nuts About Butter; Paradise Gourmet; Paradise Handmade Soaps; Pignoli on the Harbour; Power FX; Scentsy; Stuffy Friends; That to This; Tow Boat US; Tupperware; Turtle’s Tomato Patch and Venture Out Charters.
Swager said attendees enjoy the market because they can come early and shop at the market before storing their goods in the car and grabbing a bite to eat at Pignoli or French Press. After breakfast, they can hang out and listen to music and shop at one of the many stores.
Swager encourages attendees to stop by the promenade and visit one of the new shops – Fetch Dog Boutique & Bakery, Our Perfect Pantry and Waterside Wine Club.
Swager said they are hoping to include more events during the farmers market as the weeks unfold. She said Gulf Coast Humane Society has already shown an interest in holding an event during the market, as well as kids from a church group performing songs.
For more information, or to become a vendor for the market, call Swager at (239) 470-2746, or visit www.capeharbour.com. Cape Harbour is located at 5828 Cape Harbour Dr.