Farmers markets open this week

Now that the weather is finally warmer, it’s time for the greater Spokane Valley’s farmers markets to get up and running. Beginning this week the Liberty Lake Farmers Market will open for the season and the Millwood Farmers Market will abandon its inside winter quarters for the great outdoors.

The Millwood Farmers Market is open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. It will be in the parking lot of Millwood Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite Road, through Sept. 28, when it will once again move inside.

The Liberty Lake Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Oct. 15. It is located in the parking lot of the Liberty Square building, 1421 N. Meadowwood Lane.

The Liberty Lake market will have only 17 vendors on hand Saturday for its opening day because many had already committed to attend a garden expo this weekend, said market manager Lori Thaler. But the numbers will pick up later this month and about 45 vendors are expected at the peak, she said.

“We try to make it mainly farmers, because we want to keep it an authentic farmers market,” she said.

In addition to produce, shoppers will find beef, sausage, honey, flour and some crafts. People can also munch on fresh pizza or tacos while they shop. New this year is a vendor offering poultry and eggs, Thaler said.

The Liberty Lake market will also continue to host its popular special events – an artists market on June 18, the Italian festival on July 23 and the pie festival on Aug. 13.

So far the Millwood Farmers Market has 33 vendors signed up. “There are always others that come in during the season,” said the Rev. Craig Goodwin. “We’ve got pretty much all the same vendors we had last year returning this year.”

The market will also have a new vendor offering flour and cracked wheat cereal. “We have a baker that’s going to be selling gluten-free baked goods,” he said.

The returning vendors offer crafts, meat, eggs, honey, salsa and vegetables. The Millwood market will continue to accept EBT cards, WIC coupons, debit cards and credit cards.