Summer Hours Begin May 19th
Shout-Out to Our Volunteers
We want to take a moment and acknowledge the humans who dedicate their Saturdays at the Market. Whether it’s once a week or once a month, our volunteers make the Market a special experience each and every week. It takes a lot of elbow grease to create a smooth, consistent experience every Saturday and we rely heavily on volunteer help!
Our volunteers greet each market-goer with enthusiasm and warmth as they pass through our endearing alley entrance.
They sweep up with a smile, ensuring that not only our lot and event space is tidy, but that the whole neighborhood is looking its best.
They take ownership of fun programs, such as the Market Sprouts booth, to make our market well-rounded.
They represent the market, getting to know the vendors and products, navigating the aisles and directing lost market-goers like it’s truly home.
They make trips out to farms and commercial kitchens and write up blog posts – on top of their full-time job’s workload – so that we can educate our customers about the heart and process behind the haul. [See Marlys’ great work here]
They assist vendors and special guests, acting quickly to support market programs and shoppers.
They are accountants, retired elementary school teachers, high school students, and writers. They come to the market as reprieve from daily life, seeking the familiar smiling faces (and pastries) that will get them through the next 6 days until Saturday rolls around again. They come to the market to be part of something bigger than their bubble, to make an impact and help the community thrive and grow.
Make your Saturdays something to seriously look forward to – become a market volunteer! There are many positions to fill and we can always use extra hands. We’ll see you soon (in an orange apron)…
Prepare for Citrusocolypse
It’s every Arizonan’s duty to be able to recite the 5 C’s like the ABC’s: Cotton, Copper, Cattle, Climate, and CITRUS!
In the early years of Arizona’s history, citrus was a major player in the fate of Arizona’s economy. Citrus was brought over to the Southwest in the 18th century by Spanish settlers. As grapefruit in particular gained popularity during the 1930s, more than 1 million crates of grapefruits were produced by our state in the year of 1935.
The industry flocked to Arizona, landing mainly in the Arcadia and Mesa areas, where many groves are landmarks for historic neighborhoods. The sprawl of these neighborhoods and urban areas in general encroaching on farmland is largely why orchards declined heavily in the 1990s.
Our warm and sunny climate creates a perfect incubator for sweet, juicy citrus of many varieties. Today, shoppers at Phoenix Public Market can find tangelos, kumquats, ruby reds, and so much more in overwhelming abundance at every grower’s stand. The ubiquity of citrus in our Phoenician lives can make the fruit mundane and cumbersome, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it and reap the nutritional benefits–it’s time to get creative!
Read on for 4 ways get excited about our prolonged and plentiful citrus season…
13 years ago…
The Phoenix Public Market is about to complete its 13th year of operation. It was a dream envisioned by Cindy Gentry, an urban center-point where farmers and local businesses who did not have stores or big contracts could bring their products to the people of Arizona.
The idea was to create a non-profit market that champions Arizona products made by people who wanted to build their own business. After much hard work by Cindy, that dream began on a rainy Saturday in February 2005. About 14 vendors and a few more customers showed up the first day, along with then Mayor Phil Gordon and Councilman Michael Johnson, two of the earliest supporters, who rang the bell to get the day started.
Not only did it rain that first day, but the second day as well. However, Cindy with all the vendors and volunteers kept the faith and just kept plugging along. That faith and perseverance shown by everyone involved led to the ongoing growth in customers, vendors, and sales. Now, most Saturdays, there are 80+ vendors and 1,500+ customers. The Phoenix Public Market has become a bedrock in Downtown Phoenix for people who come from the surrounding neighborhoods and often more than 20 miles away.
THANK YOU to everyone for supporting the Phoenix Public Market and your local community!
Strength in Numbers (of Conscious Shoppers)
With all the local marketplaces and events this time of year, those of us who are embedded in our community of local do-ers and movers don’t necessarily need an annual tradition boosted by a credit card company to remember the importance of supporting local economy. Still, Small Business Saturday is another one of those special days each year that we love, appreciate, and look forward to.
According to the National Retail Federation, about 164 million consumers are expected to shop on Black Friday in 2017. For the seventh year, Small Business Saturday plans to redirect some of those shoppers to local businesses across the country rather than big-box retailers. For every $100 spent at a local business, $43 stays in local economy, whereas only $13 stays in local economy if spent at a non-locally-owned business.
“Slow the Fork Down”
The Phoenix Division of the Slow Food Movement is gaining traction in our community, where the focus is placed on local culinary heritage and social justice. The Slow Food Movement, globally and nationally, aims to deepen the public’s awareness surrounding our food systems and how they affect just about every aspect of our livelihood on this planet. A daunting task, surely, so let’s start with lunch.
Slow Food Phoenix’s most recent project is entitled “Feeding the Future,” during which attendees will sample diverse dishes made by a bold lineup of beloved chefs, including Charleen Badman of Scottsdale’s FnB and Eddie Hantas of East Valley favorite Hummus Xpress. There’s a twist to this sampling event, though: each chef’s budget will reflect the current National School Lunch Program (NSLP) budget, and will be served in the style of an American school lunch.
Loyal Local Summer Rewards Program
Celebrate being a “Loyal Local”
With our Summer Shoppers Rewards Program
Memorial Day to Labor Day
How It Works
- Sign up at the Info Booth and get a Loyal Local summer shoppers rewards card. We keep the card at the booth so you never forget it!
- Visit the market Info Booth each week, show us what you bought at the Market and receive a stamp on your card.
- After 3 market visits, you are entered into that month’s raffle to win a free Market tote bag and free Market items – like eggs, meats, spices, soaps and more from a featured vendor!
- Drawings take place the first Saturday of each month.
- Repeat… all summer long until Labor Day.
- Those who come to the market at least 10 Saturdays during the summer will be entered into our Grand Prize Drawing on September 5th!
Let’s Get Started!
To launch the program off, all shoppers who sign up on Saturday May 27th will be entered into our first Loyal Local Raffle!
*The Fine Print: Grocery bag must include at least 5 unique items. One stamp per customer per day
Why Shop Local?
Whether leaving the market with a bag packed full of fresh produce or just a single loaf of bread, you are making more than just your stomach happy. Shopping local has more benefits than you could count on two hands, but we have narrowed it down to just a few of the reasons you should support small business
- It’s Economical: Shopping local puts three times as much money in your local economy.
- It Fosters A Sense of Community: Local businesses are run by community members, for community members.
- It Creates Jobs: Contributing to a local business helps create high quality, unique jobs for members of your community.
- It’s Farm to Table Fresh: Getting your fresh produce through a local farmer allows you to get the fruits and vegetables at their peak freshness because they did not have to travel hundreds of miles to get to you.
Did you know our market has over 75 local vendors every week? Visiting every Saturday and shopping with these small businesses is not only fun, but has an impact in more ways than one. If you are interested in more ways to help our local businesses, watch the video above or become a Localist. See you Saturday!
Market Map
Each Friday find our new Market Map published on our page This Week At The Market
Market Recipe: Wok Char Salmon
Wok Char Salmon with Honey Mustard Glaze by Carefree Spice Company
This has become a standard in our kitchen. Use the freshest Wild Caught Salmon you can find, which we now have at the Market.
