We welcomed a little breeze at the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market  last Saturday, as temps reached 90. That didn’t seem to bother the huge crowd enjoying all that goes on at our market. Again this weekend there will be NO paid parking. When it does start, we will validate 2 hours free parking for both Sat & Wed markets. Just show your purchases at the market info booth. If you are a Des Moines resident and have a vehicle registered in Des Moines, you can get a yearly ($30) pass at the Marina office for $15 for the rest of this year. Check out the booth of market sponsor Renewal by Anderson where you will be able to see experts point out the advantages of quality replacement windows manufactured of vinyl, aluminum and wood.  Ask them about the specials they are running this Saturday. Mark your calendar for the start of the Wednesday night Sunset Markets starting next Wednesday July 5th. The Sunset Market runs every Wednesday in July and August from 4 to 8pm.  There will be food trucks, farms and lots of goodies. The Des Moines Area Food Bank “Picnic in the Park” free summer dinner program for all school age kids will also be there serving snacks from 3:45 to 4:30pm and dinner from 4:30 to 6:30pm. Then you can stroll over to the Beach Park starting July 12th for the free music in the park series brought to you by the Des Moines Art Commission. New Wednesday Market Vendor Galaxy Donuts is a small local business. Their goal is to have fun celebrating your event.  They offer fresh made to order mini donuts that will delight your senses and satisfy your sweet tooth.  They have also recently added a hot dog steamer, so they can also do steamed all beef hot dogs along with their yummy Galaxy Donuts or Galaxy Dogs all by themselves. Food Tucks – Athena’s, Buns on Wheels, Nibbles, & NOSH New Vendors – King’s Fresh Handmade Mozzarella The Rotary Club of Des Moines and Normandy Park has a booth every Saturday to promote their Annual Poverty Bay Blues and Brews Festival. The festival this year is on August 26th at the Beach Park. At their booth you can buy your discount tickets in advance ($35, $40 at the event). Also get your raffle tickets for $5 for the grand prize, a Mariners luxury box suite at Safeco Field in early September. The package includes 23 tickets, $800 for catered food, 6 VIP parking passes and allows access to the Terrace Club lounges. There is a runner up prize of two season passes to Centerstage Theatre.  Last but not the least; you can enter to win $100 by texting the word Rotary to 555888.  You will receive a text with a link to your entry form.  Fill out the entry form and you are automatically entered to win. Text and data rates may apply. The proceeds benefit the Highline Music 4 Life program which puts instruments in the hands of kids who otherwise might not be able to have them. Don’t forget the Des Moines Area Food Bank “Picnic in the Park” free summer lunch program for all school age kids. Look for them in the grassy area next to the marina office. And if you can’t wait until noon, they will serve free snacks from 10 to 11:30am and lunch from 11:30 to 1pm.  A child does not need to be a Highline Public School student to participate. They will be there every Saturday until school starts.  If you would like to volunteer to help with this program, contact the Food Bank 206-878-2660. Be sure to check to see if you qualify for our healthy eating initiative for low income families called Fresh Bucks, Come to the market, swipe your EBT card and it will double your dollars (up to $10) per person. This program is good for all market days (Sat & Wed). Seniors don’t forget that the market and the King Conservation District, with partner Sound Generations, are offering the HYDE Shuttle providing local door to door transportation to and from the market to seniors 55 and older and people with disabilities of all ages living in Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien and Sea-Tac. Call 206-727-6262 to schedule a ride. The rides are every other week: July 1,15,29; August 12,26; September 9,23. Be sure to get your application for the upcoming Clutter to Cash sale for July 22nd. You can sell all that odd ball stuff you have been moving from one side of your garage to the other. The 20 booth spaces are starting to fill up, so we are encouraging people to sign up early. The space fee is $20 and you must provide your own tables, chairs, etc. You can sign up at the information booth or download the application from our web site. The August 19 date is also available. Upcoming Events

To keep up with all the special events, featuring what’s fresh and entertainment at the market, please log onto the web site and this weekly column. You can also keep up on the activities by visiting the market’s Facebook page. We have discontinued the           e-newsletter. Thanks to our sponsors: The market takes place in the north Des Moines Marina parking lot, at 22307 Dock Ave S.: ]]>