Local Fare Fall Marketplace
Celebrate local foods!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Noon - 4:00 p.m.
Local Fare will host a Fall Marketplace at the Velzy Commons in Ullsvik Hall, (corner of Hickory and Main streets) at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. It will be held on Sunday, September 27, 2009 from noon until 4 p.m. It is open to the public. There is no admission charge. It will connect producers with suppliers and customers, promote networking, and educate consumers.
At the Marketplace, local food vendors may have between one to three tables to provide samples of their foods, display their wares, sell their products directly to the consumer, and provide information about themselves and their products. Related non-profit groups may also have table space from which they can distribute information. Anyone working with local food is invited to participate: growers, restaurants, grocers, CSA farms, greenhouses, cheese makers, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, farmer’s market representatives, etc...
Over 250 participants and community members attended the first spring marketplace, and we are expecting up to 400 this fall. This event will coincide with a special exhibition—"Art meets Ag: A visual celebration of the bounty of the region"—to be held in the Nohr Art Gallery, which is adjacent to Velzy Commons in Ullsvik Hall. The show is organized by the regional arts program ArtsBuild, Local Fare's sister organization. It will feature artwork that addresses the subject of regional farms, farmers, and farm products, or utilizes materials from regional farms. The gallery will be open during the Fall Marketplace as well as during regular gallery hours from September 21st through October 24th. Artists will be encouraged to be on hand during the Marketplace event.
Local Fare will coordinate a program of demonstrations and children's activities—also at no charge—to occur regularly during the Marketplace event.
Take advantage of the opportunity to sell your goods directly to the buyer. Vendors are to provide their own table covering. The exhibits may be set up Sunday, September 27, starting at 10:30am. All exhibits must be in place by noon. The cost is $25.00 per space (includes all tables). We encourage you to have samples of your products, recipes to hand out and, most importantly, information on how a customer can find you in the future.
The deadline for vendor registration is September 1st. Early registration will get the added bonus of inclusion in event promotion. Vendors may register online. Questions can be directed to April Fuhr by email fuhrap@uwplatt.edu or phone 608.342.1314.
Local Fare is a program of the Office of Continuing Education at the UW–Platteville with support from UW- Extension. Local Fare is dedicated to a regional vision for increasing access to local foods in southwest Wisconsin.
Please feel free to share this information with other producers you know!