Downtown's new market

Okay, it's not new. It's been downtown for years, located at Fulton St. and San Joaquin, but the lot there that housed the market was recently acquired by Granville Homes, and (according to rumors), the market was asked to move. It's found new life in a parking lot a couple of blocks away, near Broadway and Tuolomne.

Market coordinator Pat Scrivner (pictured talking with Kiel below) was able to move two-thirds of the tents to the new location, and says she's saving the others for expansion plans at the Tower Farmers Market. She's sewn all of the new shade coverings that top those tents.

The new backdrop for the market is the large mural on the north side of Broadway Studios; while I'm sure this is met with mixed emotion, the mural and the surrounding urban landscape create an energy that's unique to this market. The lot belongs to Cliff Tutelian, who is crafting plans for a food court in the adjacent Parker-Nash building, and opens to Broadway, facing the soon-to-open Mayflower Lofts. 

One thing to note: this isn't a certified market, though there is a "certified corner" (pictured below). That means you'll see a few things that aren't grown locally: bananas and mangoes, for example. If you're wanting to know more about where you food comes from, though, just ask the farmer. After striking out last weekend at Vineyard Farmers Market, Whole Foods and the grocery store, I picked up six pounds of Fresno chilis from a farm in west Fresno.

Check it out Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.