There is something special about an event that descends upon downtown Gresham every weekend — and it’s more than just the amazing produce and handcrafted goods.
For the vendors who keep coming back year after year, and the hundreds of customers, what makes the Gresham Farmers Market so beloved is the atmosphere. Its relaxed, safe, fun for kids, and a chance to support local small businesses.
Plus that wide array of booths doesn’t hurt.
The Gresham Farmers Market had its 2024 debut Saturday, May 4, at the Gresham Arts Plaza, 401 N.E. Second Street. There were veggies, flowers, nursery stock, baked goods, barbecue, booze, meat, art, oils and honey, pickles, soap, stained glass, jewelry, and so much more.
“It is going to be an exciting year for both our customers and vendors, said Greg Charland, newly-minted market manager.
Uriah Leclerc, who has been attending the market with Cheeky Little Piggy Farm for 7 years, loves chatting with his customers. He lives and breathes bees, and gets that twinkle in his eye when he can talk about those friendly pollinators.
“The queen can’t live without all the other bees, and the bees can’t live without their queen,” Leclerc said, before getting drawn into a conversation about the best new ways to efficiently and safely harvest honey.
“It is nice after the long winter to see all the community again, even on a rainy day like this,” he added with a laugh. “There is just this excitement today.”
Many of the vendors come to Gresham because it pairs a larger market without some of the chaos and noise found elsewhere, like in downtown Portland. It’s that perfect balance, plus being in the Arts Plaza allows for dedicated space for kids to play.
“I love the market, its safe enough that my 11-year-old grandson can run around, say hi to all his friends, and have fun without me watching over him the whole time,” said Nancy Lee Armstrong, who is in her second year at the Gresham market.
As her grandson checks in with the other vendors, who he hasn’t seen throughout the offseason, Armstrong sells her handcrafted stained glass artwork. One of her most popular are glass cactuses and succulents that are “planted” in small ceramic pots.
“At first I would gift them to friends and family, but eventually I got too many and it can be quite the expensive hobby,” she said with a laugh. “So I found a home here at the Gresham Market.”
Angie Pizano, Don Felipe Fine Produce, is a first-timer at the Gresham Farmers Market. She got recommended by a friend to check it out after helming a booth at other markets.
“They told me how great this market is and that I should check it out,” she said. “So far a lot of people have come up — not just to chat but to also buy.”
She sells chorizo, not just traditional versions but also vegan and chicken, allowing all sorts of diets to partake.
The expectations are for a banner year for the nonprofit Gresham Farmers Market, which is sponsored by OnPoint Community Credit Union. There are nearly 150 vendors and lots of entertainment lined up for the coming weeks. That includes classes/workshops from the various vendors, like how to properly cook asparagus on May 18.
On May 25 will be the first-ever Young Vendor Showcase, with 10 youths helming booths around the (turned off) Splash Pad in the center of the plaza.
“We want to help young entrepreneurs and build the next generation of vendors,” Charland said. “We will do this several times during the season.”
Future markets will include a visit by the Portland Opera. And during the newly branded Festival of Arts in Gresham, the market won’t be shunted off to a distant parking lot like it was last year. Instead it will just be moved a block to the west, situating it right in the middle of the festival.
The market runs from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. every weekend through October.
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