City Park Farmers Market returns for its second season opening Saturday, May 14 with an expanded vendor line-up (including more farms and produce variety), monthly cooking demos, yoga classes and even live music. This year, more than 90 Colorado-based food producers, farmers and agriculture-based brands will line the City Park Esplanade every Saturday through October to offer market goers bounties of fresh seasonal produce, unique prepared foods, baked goods, beverages and more.
Switch Gears Farm at City Park Farmers Market. Photo: City Park Farmers Market
One notable area of growth is the participating farms, of which there will be 16 (many of them smaller farms of less than 5 acres).
Also new this year, the market will accept Double Up Food Bucks and is partnering with the local chapter of Colorado WIC (a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children), in addition to accepting Colorado’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Rebel Bread at City Park Farmers Market / Photo: City Park Farmers Market
Cooking demonstrations by local chefs return this year on a monthly basis beginning in June.
They include James Beard Award semifinalists Caroline Glover (Annette) and José Avila (El Borrego Negro), as well as Alex Astranti (Mercantile Dining & Provision), Amy Cohen (Stowaway Kitchen) and others to be announced.
The chefs will collect ingredients from market vendors and cook a seasonal meal on the spot to be shared with attendees.
The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through October 29 at 2551 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver.
Other activities include a weekly run club with Go Forever Racing at 8 a.m., a donation-based yoga class with Big Power Yoga at 9 a.m., and a schedule of regular live music featuring bands like Desert Atlas, Trevor Michael and Helen Driesen.
The grassy esplanade and central fountain has plentiful seating and umbrellas with space for picnic blankets and chairs, inviting people to visit and stay with dogs, family and friends.
For more places to buy fresh produce and Colorado-grown goods, check out this list of farmers markets across the Front Range. It includes an interactive map.