Shoppers pack new Overland Park Farmers Market on opening day: ‘a lot to love’
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The grand opening of Overland Park’s new farmers market drew crowds looking for fresh produce, baked goods, and creative handmade products Saturday.
Cars lined the streets looking for parking spots as people rambled through the bustling marketplace at Clock Tower Landing. The market opened at 7:30 a.m., though a number of people started their shopping sooner.
Organizing plants at her outdoor booth was Vashti Kern of Bird’s Botanicals. Her business grows a variety of plants and also sets up shop at the River Market in Kansas City, and in Lee’s Summit. Bird’s Botanicals has participated in the Overland Park Farmers Market for almost 25 years.
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Kern said people started poking around her booth well before 7 a.m.
“The location they gave me is wonderful, right up front, so I’m fired up,” Kern said.
Kern said she had conversations with customers who were anticipating the new market, and so far she’s heard nothing but good reviews.
“I feel like the customers are just as excited as the vendors,” Kern said. “Everyone was up really early in anticipation.”
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Crowds rave over new farmers market
Several vendors had lines stretching 10-15 yards long filled with people eager to get their hands on muffins, lettuce, canned jelly, flowers and honey, to name a few.
Some people stopped to take in the canopy shade structures and brand new indoor pavilion. Others stopped to get farmers market merch.
One patron of Bird’s Botanicals, Ashley Nietfeld, 32, said the pavilion reminds her of an old train station.
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“I like how alive it is,” Nietfeld said about the new market space. “I usually look for fresh bakes, and I’m a plant lady, so it’s a great place to go for my go-to.”
Wearing a hat that reads “Meet me at the farmers market,” Chelsey M., 34, called herself a “small business girl.”
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As the owner of KC Black Owned, an organization that supports Black-owned businesses, Chelsea said she loves supporting local. She and her family traveled from Lee’s Summit to check out the improved space.
“There’s a lot to love, but we’re really happy about the safer parking,” Chelsey said. “We travel to a lot of farmers markets and this one seems the most inviting, and now accommodating, for a large number of people.”
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Unique finds at Overland Park
The farmers market grand opening marks the conclusion of the $34 million project. A celebration Saturday morning commemorated the first time the farmers market opened in 1982, marking its 44th anniversary this year.
More than 100 vendors signed up to participate in the market this season, surpassing a record-breaking 90 vendors at last year’s season opener.
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Selling homegrown pecans from their Kansas farm inside the indoor pavilion were Leland and Slina Prothe, of Prothe’s Pecans.
The Prothes have around 2,000 pecan trees that produce a variety of pecans from grafted, Pawnee, Kansa, Baruch and other northern varieties.
“We love to come to this market,” Leland Prothe said. “We sell at the farm and ship some, but we well quite a few here.”
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Prothe said the new market space has been good for business so far.
“I think it’s wonderful,” he said. “It’s been real busy. And it’s nice to be indoors in the summer, since we can’t have sun on our table with the pecans.”
The Overland Park Farmers Market is open 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 26. It’s also open from the same time on Wednesdays through Sept. 2, according to the website.
From Oct. 3 through Nov. 21, it’s open 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
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