Wanolitto says it is less than two weeks until Opening Day – Saturday, June 4 – for the Des Moines Waterfront Farmers Market! Coming off another very successful season, the Market will be bringing you many exciting new vendors, entertainers and food. The word “Waterfront” will be prominent again at The Des Moines Marina, where you will be able to enjoy your favorite market vendors and sample many prepared foods. Opening day will also feature our Food Truck-In, with 12 trucks including your favorites and some new ones. Look for them in the horseshoe drive in front of the marina office. Rikki Marohl, market manager, said “the market again will have many of your favorite artisans and crafters as well as some surprises.” Also returning will be the market’s own wines, including new this year our Waterfront Red, a fabulous blend of 5 different varietals, with all the proceeds going toward the market’s Endowment Fund. Look for our wine booth where tasting once again is encouraged. Don’t forget to bring your old musical instruments to donate to the Highline Music4Life program. The program refurbishes the instruments and gives them to the Highline School students who wouldn’t be able to afford them. The local Rotary Club of Des Moines & Normandy Park recently made a $13,000 donation to this wonderful program thru its annual Blues & Blues Festival, it will be held again this year on August 27th. You can drop your instruments off at the wine tasting booth The King Conservation District Healthy Eating Initiative, a Farm Fresh Foods program that provides qualifying Senior Citizens age 55 and older and people with disabilities of all ages $10 every market day to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from our local farmers. Just bring your pictured ID to our information booth to receive your tokens to use as cash. Another grant this year is to educate and feed low income families with healthy foods. It is called the Fresh Bucks Eating Initiative where you can double your EBT dollars up to $10/market day. Qualified participants can sign up at the market information booth. The market and King Conservation District, along with partner Senior Services, are proud to once again offer the HYDE Shuttle providing local transportation to seniors 55 and older and the disabled of all ages living in Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien and Sea-Tac. Download the flyer here (PDF file). Back again this year is Clutter to Cash where you can turn your valuables into cash. You know all that odd ball stuff you have been moving from one side of your garage to the other and trip over every time you try to get into your car. There are three days this year; June 23, July 23 and August 13.There are only 25 booth spaces 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. And don’t forget the start of our Sunset Markets beginning Wednesday July 6th and running every Wednesday thru August 31st. It will run from 4-8pm with many new vendors and food trucks where people can shop and eat and then walk to the beach park for the free music series. Here is the special event schedule for this season:
- June 4 Opening Day, Food Truck-In
- June 25 Clutter to Cash
- July 6 Sunset Market Starts
- July 23 Clutter to Cash
- August 6 Health & Fitness Day
- August 13 Clutter to Cash
- August 20 Pancake Breakfast
- September 10 Back to School/Safety Day, Food Truck-In
- September 24 Last Day