Waukesha Farmers' Market Expands in a Big Way for 2012 Season

The Waukesha Farmers’ Market is reaching new levels this year as it’s nearly doubled from approximately 60 vendors in 2011 to 103 vendors in 2012.

“We could have actually accommodated about 140 vendors if we had the space,” said Business Improvement District Executive Director Meghan Sprager. “We had that much interest.”

The Waukesha Farmers’ Market kicks off this weekend in downtown Waukesha on Saturday.

The 103 vendors will be located along the Fox River walk between North Barstow Street and West Broadway. It will be open from 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through the end of October. The market has the possibility to run two weeks into November, depending on the weather.

“It just depends on the growing season,” Sprager said. With the hot weather we have had this year, it is hard to know where we will be at (by the end of the season).”

• Waukesha Patch will be down at the Waukesha Farmers' Market this Saturday. Come find us, say hi, grab a free tote bag and sign up for our Patch newsletter.

The Farmers’ Market, with its expansion, has a plethora of new vendors. New this year will be Leather Restoration where people can drop off their leathered goods one weekend and pick up the repaired or re-tanned goods the following weekend.

A knife sharpening vendor will repair cutlery while people are shopping in the market. The vendor also plans to hold demonstrations throughout the season.

The Old Tavern Food Products, a Waukesha business on South Prairie Ave., will be selling cheese.

“Obviously their product is loved,” Sprager said. “We are very excited that they are a new vendor. They are going to be an asset to the market.”

Another cheese factory, Renards Cheese of Door County, also will make its debut in this year’s market. Two goat meat vendors – one returning and one new – will be present throughout the season.

“It was in huge demand throughout the market season,” Sprager said about the 2011 season. “The vendor actually ran out of goat meat to sell.”

One of the goat meat vendors also will sell sheep, bison, pork and other specialty meats, according to Sprager.

Located along a picturesque Fox River walk, the Waukesha Farmers’ Market’s become more than just about the vendors selling their produce.

“The market adds to the vibrancy of the downtown on Saturday mornings,” Sprager said.

A 2008 study conducted by UW-Waukesha showed that the people attending the downtown market typically spent between $11-$15 in the market. Of the 191 people surveyed, 86 percent of them planned to spend $16-$20 in the downtown area.

“Stay in the downtown and have lunch and shop and learn about what we have to offer,” Sprager said.