City Market sees largest crowd in months. Social distancing, mask use is mixed
The City Market in Kansas City had what may have been it’s busiest day yet since the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders slowed or stopped activity in the city.
Vendors said they saw “several hundred” people come through the market. About 60 percent of those people wore masks and most made an attempt to stay six feet apart, though it was not always possible.
The Market opened at 7 a.m., and by 10 a.m. a Star reporter witnessed numerous patrons — most of whom were not wearing a mask. Many were reaching over one another for fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants.
Maskless people also filled chairs and tables stationed outside the restaurants and coffee shops that surround the market.
Some who showed up at the market were startled by the scene and changed their mind about strolling through because not enough people wore masks.
By around 1:45 p.m. the market had largely emptied. Currently in Kansas City businesses are permitted to operate at 50 percent capacity, and outside events are allowed to continue as long as people remain six feet apart.
Public health officials have warned that, as society begins to reopen, spikes in cases of the new coronavirus could occur.
In a Twitter post Saturday, Kansas City Health Director Rex Archer said, “We will be experiencing very large second and third waves because of how we are reopening without enough public health disease investigators.”
People at the market, however, felt relatively safe.
Derek Begane, a customer, told The Star he felt not enough people wore masks.
“People got bored of the virus,” Begane said.
However, Begane said he felt safe as long as he was outside and he could control what he did by staying far away from others and wearing a mask.
Julie Broderson, a vendor at the market, said it was good to see customers returning. She said customers were largely conscientious and the crowd wasn’t quite the size it once was. The older customers, she said, are more likely to wear masks.
She said she wears a mask, washes her hands and uses hand sanitizer between each customer.
“The crowd was good, the crowd was buying,” Broderson said. “I think everybody is feeling more comfortable coming out.”
Alejandro Bettancord and Ryan Bohannan, working at another booth, said they usually sell their goods on Sunday at the Market so they couldn’t compare day-to-day. However, Bohannan said, there were “huge crowds” but everyone seemed to be trying to be respectful.
Crowds of that size, Bohannan said, would make him uncomfortable in a supermarket since they didn’t appear to be six feet apart but he felt safer in the open air.
As the summer goes on, Bohannan said, he expects crowds to expand. “Knowing our culture” Bohannan said he worries crowds will grow as things continue to open up.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the time when City Market opens. It opens at 7 a.m. on Saturdays.
This story was originally published May 30, 2020 at 6:00 PM.
