North Liberty will host its first farmers’ market since 2011.
The new Penn Landing Market will kick off with live music and food at noon Aug. 3, and the market will continue from noon to 3 p.m. every other Sunday through Oct. 26.
It will be located on Pacha Parkway, off Penn Street near Highway 965.
Grand Rail Development, Veronica Tessler, the owner of Yotopia, and Iowa City resident Lesley Triplett, who will have a Korean-style dumpling stand at the market, spearheaded the project.
“Yotopia expanded to North Liberty, and we saw that it had a great big parking lot, and we saw the potential to have farmers’ market in that area,” Tessler said. “We wanted to create sense of community there in North Liberty.”
Vendors can buy a prorated season vendor pass for $70 for all seven markets or a non-season vendor pass for $12 per market.
The market is scheduled for Aug. 3, Aug. 17, Aug. 31, Sept. 14, Sept. 28, Oct. 12, and Oct. 26.
Nick Bergus, the communications director for the city of North Liberty, said the last farmers’ market was run by the city’s Recreation Department.
North Liberty is paying for marketing for the project. Tessler and Triplett said they work on a voluntary basis for the market.
Tessler said the location was chosen because of the many businesses in the area.
“Penn Landing is the center of commerce in North Liberty, and that’s why we thought it would be a great location,” she said.
Although Tessler said the farmers’ market is separate from Yotopia, she said she may look into running a Sunday market special. However, right now she is focusing on getting the market in full swing.
Triplett said she became involved with the project because she has always wanted to start a farmers’ market stand.
“Well, starting my own famers’ market stand was a dream of mine,” Triplett said. “And so I really wanted to start one, and got put in touch with Veronica, so we decided to collaborate on the market and share some of the responsibilities.”
While living in Korea, Triplett fell in love with Korean dumplings and will have her stand, Dumpling Darling, at the new market.
“Well, the city of North Liberty has been super-supportive and helpful,” she said. “Our biggest way of getting new vendors is getting in contact with vendors in Iowa City; we thought if they were interested in a Saturday market, they might be interested in doing the Sunday market.”