Turlock farmers market flourishing on shady Main Street each Saturday

The switch to Saturday mornings on a shade-dappled section of brick-walk-lined Main Street has helped the Turlock Certified Farmers Market bloom, vendors and visitors say.

“The new location is really working out nicely. It’s shadier. It’s more of a social event. More people are coming,” said Alex Varga, sitting at the Turlock Garden Club booth Saturday.

Beside her, Bonnie Donaldson agreed. “People were very receptive to it. I liked Friday, too, but it’s nice to see young families here,” she said. Garden club members chatted with passing shoppers about club activities and collected donations for Penny Pines, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-partnered charity replanting burned forests.

Booths offered a mix of local produce, food, organization information and crafts. Families walked the two-block line of booths to the mellow backbeat of old favorites crooned by local band The Red Pony.

Children’s activities included a petting zoo and a chance to sit in a fire engine or check out a police cruiser. Balloon animal artist Daryl Essenmacher had customers lined up for his creations.

A handmade toys booth sold blunted wooden swords made by Grandpa Len’s Wood Shop. Len and Judy Bell of Turlock said their retirement gig is paying off.

“It has amazed us – I did this for a hobby,” Len Bell said.

A child-size rabbit puppet promoted “Bunnicula,” an upcoming play by the LightBox Theatre Company at the Carnegie Arts Center. The Saturday morning appearance of the vegetable-draining vampire bunny served to stoke interest in the play, which has auditions later this month.

The farmers market has moved to different blocks of Main Street and changed days and times over the years. It was the place to be on Thursday nights in the 1990s, running the length of downtown and crossing Golden State Boulevard. But its popularity got out of hand, with few people in the large crowds buying anything, says the Turlock Certified Farmers Market website, www.turlockmarket.org.

For the past five years, it has been held Friday mornings, set along the sunnier section of Main on the west side of Golden State Boulevard.

At Bava Farm’s produce booth, Tony Fields said he worried about losing his customers this year with the change. Saturday, he and sons Arthur, 11, and Speedy, 10, helped customers buying hot peppers, zucchini and tomatoes in sizzling red or slightly blushing green.

“We didn’t know how it’d be, moving it and taking it off Fridays, but it’s a lot better for us,” Fields said.

This year, the market is drawing easygoing crowds with a May-through-October run on Saturday mornings on the shady, eastern side of Main Street between South Palm and Center streets.

The change has made a big difference, said Cheree Hill of Hughson, selling homemade preserves under the name Jars of Delicious at the market.

“It makes the market as a whole a destination, not just a specific vendor,” she said.

“Traffic is much better,” said Mourad Cherif of Hummus Heaven.

Admitting she had “emptied my husband’s wallet,” buying things at the market, Christina Almeida sat eating lunch with family at an outdoor table. Daughter Karen Almeida said this year’s lineup seems to have more booths.

“I like it,” Karen said. “I think having it on Saturday is much better than Friday.”

“It’s much better for people who work,” commented Stacey Gleason, a first-time customer this year. “I never came because I couldn’t,” she said.

However, Friday was easier for mother of preschoolers Ericka Kiriakou. Pulling her 3- and 5-year-old children in a red wagon, Kiriakou said she liked the old way. But, she added, “This has more shade.”

At the Legacy Toffee booth, Diana Lewis said she is seeing lots of new customers.

“The move has been great for us,” she said. Her company paid $22 for a week-to-week booth berth, but this year committed to the full run and got a slight break on the price.

Waving an arm at passing strolling families, she added, “This is what it’s supposed to be.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2015 at 6:52 PM with the headline "Turlock farmers market flourishing on shady Main Street each Saturday."