By Rachel Hall

Every Friday night from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. vendors gather at Sugarmont Plaza and visitors enjoy live music while shopping at the Sugar House Farmers Market.

“What makes our market special is we specialize in a lot of our growers who are backyard urban gardeners. They are not big scale farms,” Kim Zarkin, the board chair for the Sugar House Farmers Market, said. 

An opportunity to speak with the individuals growing produce and making crafts is one advantage to shopping local, but it’s not the only one.

“I think that the biggest misperception about farmers markets is that it’s not affordable. I want people to know that the market is some place that you can buy local food and spend your money and the money stays in the community. It stays in Salt Lake City. It stays in Utah. It’s food that you can afford and it’s food that’s better than you can ever imagine,” Zarkin said.

Residents who participate in the food stamp program have added value when shopping at the farmers market, because vendors accept the benefit card and the first ten dollars spent are matched.

Seasonal fruits and vegetables keep selection fresh each week. Shoppers can expect to see items such as apples, squash, corn, onions, potatoes, zucchini, lettuce and cucumbers available in August, in addition to many other crops. Most are picked the same day they are sold.

Businesses support the market by providing gift cards given away each week in a raffle. Parking is rarely a problem, because there is plenty of parking available nearby and Sugarmont Plaza is close to public transportation. Bike riders are welcome to use the bike racks on site.

“It’s just a great place to spend a Friday night,” Zarkin said.

Crafters are on site to sell directly to the public, and a free kid’s craft area is available each week for the little ones to have fun while parents shop the market. Food trucks offer up a delicious variety of dinner options and people spend time mingling.

“Our market is so much more relaxed than some of the other, bigger markets in the area. Just get out and mingle with the community,” Zarkin said.