FAYETTEVILLE, Ark — The City of Fayetteville announced Thursday (June 18) that the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market will resume operating on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Downtown Square and Gardens beginning Saturday, June 27.
Beginning July 7, the market will resume operations on Tuesdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Downtown Square, with the Thursday market yet to be determined.
The Farmers’ Market will continue following current Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) requirements for large outdoor venues to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spread. The ADH’s directive for large outdoor venues is available here: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programs-services/topics/novel-coronavirus.
Additionally, the market will comply the new City Ordinance and with Mayor Jordan’s request for masks.
To help increase access to local food while remaining vigilant about health and safety concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, Farmers’ Market organizers have implemented several additional health and precautions for resuming operations at the Downtown Square, including:
- Entrances and exits will be controlled to limit attendance to no more than 50 people per street within the Market perimeter, for a total of 200 customers total at one time.
- Shopping time will be limited to 30 minutes per customer.
- Customers will be allowed entry based on a customer count which will be monitored at all entrances. Customers may be asked to stand in line with social distancing while waiting to enter the market.
- Market organizers will monitor customers for social distancing and directional traffic flow.
- Customers will be required to wash/sanitize hands or wear gloves upon entering the market.
- Face coverings will be required for all customers and vendors; market managers will have face coverings available for a small fee for those who do not have their own.
- Entrances will be clearly marked with COVID-19 signs.
- Service dogs will be allowed to enter the market; other pets/animals will not be allowed to accompany customers until further notice.
- Market vendors will wear face coverings and gloves and have hand sanitizer at their booths.
- Booths will be spaced a minimum of 10 feet apart, and vendors will maintain appropriate social distancing from customers.
- Customers will not handle products – vendors will package items for customers when purchased.
Attendees are reminded that the Farmers’ Market should not be seen as an opportunity for social gathering. For the immediate future, the Farmers’ Market is keeping its operations focused on two key goals: providing residents with safe access to healthy, local food; and providing local farmers with a safe opportunity to sell produce and products.
With this in mind, other types of vendors or performers will not be allowed until further notice – this includes food service or food preparation vendors, campaigners, musicians and other non-food producers. Within the Market perimeter, customers should not gather in groups of more than nine people and should maintain at least six feet between themselves and others, unless they are members of the same household.
The Farmers’ Market will continue its online ordering process with online payment and easy pickup or delivery. Delivery services are provided by community partner Seeds that Feed, and all arrangements will be directed to delivery@seedsfeed.org.
The market accepts SNAP for online orders and provides matching Double Your Dollars provided by the Walmart Foundation grant. Customers will need to notify market management of plans to pay with SNAP.
Market organizers encourage customers to use online ordering to limit the number of people at the Market and further reduce the possibility of COVID-19 spread. In partnership with the Farmers’ Market, local non-profit Fayetteville Roots Festival will provide space for online market orders to be picked up on Saturdays only. Online orders open on Tuesday at noon and close on Thursday at 9 p.m. These orders can be placed at https://fayettevillearkansas.locallygrown.net/market and picked up on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. at Roots HQ Listening Room located at 1 E. Mountain St., on the southeast corner of East and Mountain Streets.
Road closures will resume on Market days around the Fayetteville Downtown Square and Gardens. Everyone attending the Market or visiting the Downtown Square is urged to watch for moving vehicles and use caution when crossing nearby streets.
More details about the Fayetteville Farmer’s Market operations are available on the organization’s social media pages and at www.fayettevillefarmersmarket.org.
Please check the City’s www.fayetteville-ar.gov/covid19 webpage and sub-webpages to keep up-to-date on announcements and information for Fayetteville residents and businesses.
