Let's Get at It
- Ben Zimmerman
- Apr 10
- 3 min read
So many great finds to come this season!
Let's Get at It
Maybe it was the light winter, but boy are we ready to be back at it for the 21st season of the Westside Community Market!
That's right, opening day is upon us with a packed lineup coming your way every Saturday from now until early November. We've got some new faces, have said goodbye to those moving on and are welcoming back some old friends, such as Schroeder Kase and Chris & Lori's Bakehouse (delicious scones pictured).
Our thanks to University Research Park for welcoming us back for another great season. Find us in front of the MG&E Innovation Center at 505 S. Rosa Road. There's plenty of parking available within the lot and along Rosa Road. We do ask everyone not to park directly in front of the Innovation Center to leave space for the building employees.
We'll start out with a hardy crew of vendors here in early April and continue to grow as the season goes on. Check the newsletter weekly for updates on who will be returning with your favorites and when.
As in previous seasons, we ask you all to not cut through the managed prairie between the aisles, especially during the spring when the plants are just getting started. Speaking of the prairies, URP is planning on doing some prescribed burns this Saturday April 12th. While the burns should not impact the market, we wish to give everyone a heads up to not be alarmed if they see smoke or flames elsewhere in the park. For those sensitive to smoke, it may not be a bad idea to bring a mask along just in case.
While we're at it, we'd like to give a reminder that dogs are not allowed in the market aisles, but service animals are always welcome.
We hope you'll help us welcome our newest vendors and we look forward to introducing them to you all further in upcoming newsletters. In the meantime, stop by and say hello to the newbies. We think you'll like them as much as they'll enjoy joining the market.
For those looking to help spread the word about the market, please stop by the Info Tent and grab a flyer (available in full and quarter sheets) to hang in your office, community space, etc.
Compost collection from Sustain Dane will resume beginning in May, so hold onto those buckets for a few more weeks. Thankfully, our friends the Market Ramblers will be out for week one to delight our ears as we shop and dust off the winter rust.
So grab those totes, get your coffee cups ready and join us for another great season of west side community magic. There's a lot to look forward to right here in the neighborhood.
See you at the market!
Ben Zimmerman
Market Manager
As a reminder to everyone, dogs are prohibited within the market area, though we welcome service animals at all times.
FoodShare/EBT Service Temporarily Down
Unfortunately our FoodShare equipment is out of commission for a few weeks, meaning we will be unable to issue new FoodShare Dollars at this time. We're hoping to be back up in running by mid-May and before the Double Dollars program returns in June. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Any unspent dollars from the previous season can still be used with our vendors.
WCM Tote Bags for Sale
New Westside Community Market tote bags are now for sale! Offered in a natural-tone canvas, these spacious bags feature our market bunny logo designed by Snaggle Tooth Arts of Madison for $15 each, cash, check or Venmo (including Tap-to-Pay cards).
Please note not all vendors present every week. Please check out our newsletter or website for vendor updates & weekly lineups.
