GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Downtown Green Bay’s Saturday Farmers Market is coming back for the season, but there’s going to be some changes during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re working on this and we have this almost tied up and ready to go and then the Supreme Court comes out with their decision and we’re like ‘Okay, you know what? We’re just going to launch it and we’re just changing things as we need to,” says Kathryn Kroll of Downtown Green Bay Incorporated.
The farmers market is set to open June 6th and will run for 22 weeks, until October 31st. Hours are 7 a.m.-noon. But the location is changing – just slightly.
“We’re going to be in the Riverwalk Plaza parking lot and the Washington Professional Building parking lot,” Kroll tells WTAQ News, “It’s going to be able to help us manage the crowds that are in the market as well as minimize the entrance and exit points so we can keep that total of how many people are in the market space.”
The number of booths will be cut in half to 75.
Farmers markets are considered essential business under Wisconsin Department of Health Services rules. But not all vendors or events are covered as essential.
“We’re only allowed to have essential vendors so these are gonna be vendors that sell things like produce. Some of the prepared food items are allowed,” Kroll says, “We’re not going to be having in our arts and craft vendors or our hot food vendors. These are just following guidelines in place by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.”
Some of the more social aspects can be brought back, but Kroll says that can only happen if it is deemed safe to do so.
Kroll encourages attendees to wear masks – and says they are promoting safe distances and health practices for those who shop and sell at the Farmer’s Market.
In an effort to make the market safer for vendors and customers, the following changes are being made:
Seating areas intended for consuming food are closed
No food samples
Physical distancing requirements followed, encouraged with signs and messages
No sales by non-vendors or vendors selling nonessential items
No music, tables, activities, promotions or pets
Delay opening to make sure safety measures are implemented
Offer alternative shopping methods through a virtual market Facebook group
Provide maps ahead of time to help shoppers move through as quickly as possible
Hand washing and sanitizing stations provided
Only vendors allowed to touch products before sale
Spacing between vendors increased
Vendors will also be required to wear cloth face masks and gloves, have separate people handle money and food, clean and disinfect highly touched surfaces regularly, and stay at least six feet away from customers and other vendors.
Customers are being asked to:
Minimize the number of people coming with you to the market.
Do not bring children with you to the market if you have childcare available.
Maintain at least six feet of physical distance from other customers and vendors.
Do not bring reusable bags from home, new reusable BayCare Clinic bags will be provided at the market.
Wear a cloth face covering.
Use hand sanitizer or hand-washing stations frequently.
Stay home if you are sick.
More information on this year’s markets is available online.
