Apr 19, 2021
“It’s a huge thing,” said Danielle Schlobohm, manager of the Downtown Growers’ Market.
Around 90 local vendors were out selling their products.
“It’s nice that they re always supporting the local growers and the small businesses and the community,” said Toby DeVargas, with Durde Jerky.
Organizers said all the usual COVID safe precautions will be in place, like masks and social distancing. The market is working with city officials to make sure everything stays safe. Capacity limits will be adjusted with new public health orders.
As for vendors, they’ve also had to make some changes due to the pandemic.
4:33
Local artisans who rely heavily on markets and festivals to sell their products were hard hit during the pandemic as many events were canceled, postponed, or reduced their capacities. In response, new opportunities popped up around Albuquerque for these creative vendors to showcase their goods. As the Downtown Growers’ Market kicks off Saturday, April 17, with more vendors and customers than last year, some of the pandemic-era solutions for local artists are set to stick around.
Credit Nash Jones / KUNM
Amy Baca Lopez, a local artist and business owner, stood at her booth in the parking lot of OFFCenter Community Arts Project in Downtown Albuquerque, where she started The Little Market to promote local artisans when existing opportunities dwindled during the pandemic. “So, we have a backdrop of disco funky music,” she said, describing the market. “We have about 18 vendors here today. Anything from face masks and dresses,” she said, pointing to the booth next to he
4:21
Albuquerque’s Downtown Growers’ Market launches their winter season this week with a COVID-safe “Farm to Car” program. Customers can place orders online throughout the week to pick-up on Saturdays. KUNM’s Nash Jones met up with market co-manager Danielle Schlobohm at the site where customers will roll through for their local market goods starting this weekend.
DANIELLE SCHLOBOHM: So, we re in a parking lot that s located on Gold Ave. downtown, between 7th and 8th street, right behind Capo s Restaurant and Good Year Tires. When customers arrive, we ll have them enter on 7th St. and come in right behind this building behind me here that s got a bunch of murals on it. Vendors will be parked with orders, and so customers can just drive through. Put your name in the window of your car. Have a list or remember who you ordered from. You ll just go through the line and pick up your orders, we ll put them in the back of your car so there s no contact. Should be easy-pea