Saturday morning will mark the season grand opening of the Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market in Columbus. The opening bell will sound at 7 a.m. for the 2017 market as shoppers come out early for their picks of fresh-from-the-garden vegetables and fruits as well as baked goods, arts and crafts, plants, flowers and fun.
A grand opening merits fanfare, and this one is no exception. Columbus Fire and Rescue will be on site with a firetruck bounce house. Melvin Mordecai will provide live music, and Mississippi University for Women’s Project CHEW will offer healthy food demonstrations with strawberries. Kids can take part in making kites and face painting. Columbus’ Mother Goose will also be part of the celebration.
“Our family is tickled the opening is finally here; we can’t wait to get in there and get some really fresh veggies,” said Teresa Sanders of Columbus. The market is more than a source for locally-grown foods and goods, she said. It’s a community hub as well. “There’s something special about being out among your neighbors at something like this. There’s an organic feel to it. A farmers’ market really adds to a community’s identity.”
The Hitching Lot Farmers’ Market will be open three days each week through September: Mondays from 4-6 p.m. and Thursdays and Saturdays from 7-10 a.m. It will open on Saturdays in October.
Sizzling Second Saturdays
Summer months mean special highlights on Sizzling Second Saturdays. June 10 will feature pony rides and a petting zoo, games of fruit and vegetable “twister” and a visit by the Columbus Police Department offering fingerprinting for children. On July 8, bring the pets for a pet parade and be ready to make keychains. The Army Corps of Engineers will be on hand, too, with water safety instruction. Aug. 12 is a Back to School Bash, with sidewalk chalk projects, a bounce house and a visit by Columbus Air Force Base personnel. All Second Saturdays will feature face painting and MUW’s Project CHEW.
“We’re really trying to make Sizzling Second Saturdays bigger and better every year,” said Katherine Lucas, farmers’ market coordinator with Main Street Columbus. “This year we’ve incorporated Project CHEW, with healthy food demonstrations with things that are in season, and incorporated others like Columbus Fire and Rescue, the police department, Corps of Engineers and the Air Force base to help make things even more informative and interesting.”
For more information, contact Main Street Columbus at 662-328-6305. Follow the farmers’ market on Facebook or visit hitchinglot.org. The farmers’ market is located at the corner of Second Avenue and Second Street North, next to the Columbus Soccer Complex.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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