On Wednesday, Main Street will close to vehicle traffic between Pacific Avenue and 21st Avenue. Stalls and booths will go up, and the first Forest Grove Farmers Market of the season will begin.
Thousands will visit the market, according to Forest Grove-based nonprofit Adelante Mujeres, which launched the market in 2005.
This year, Gales Creek-area businesses will be present in Forest Grove as in years past.
Maloof Wines, located at the property that housed the old Shafer Vineyard Cellars on Gales Creek Road will be present, as will Pine Ridge Garden, an event venue overlooking the Gales Creek Valley on the very edge of this newspaper’s coverage territory.
Later in the season, more Gales Creek farms like Zephyr Farm will join the market.
A beloved tradition that sees downtown Forest Grove filled with small businesses and visitors from May through October, this year’s market will open Wednesday, May 7 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nearly 60 vendors, the Forest Grove Festival of the Arts, and more will kick off the season.
An interactive market map on Tuesday showed 59 vendors are slated to fill Main Street starting Wednesday, with extensions to 21st Avenue on some subsequent markets expected.
Most market days will feature live music, and there will be information booths from organizations including the city of Forest Grove and local nonprofits.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
