BOISE, Idaho — Cowbells rang Saturday morning as neighbors, vendors and city and market leaders counted down to the opening of the Boise Farmers Market’s new home at the Idaho Botanical Garden.
Market leaders said more than 3,700 people came through Saturday morning for the first market at the new location.
WATCH | Thousands turn out for Boise Farmers Market’s big move
The move gives the market a permanent home after years at other locations around Boise. For Kelsey Kilgore of True Roots Organics in Marsing, that stability means a lot to local producers.
“It’s everything for local agriculture and for our farm,” Kilgore said. “Just to have the stability and a place that we know we can be every year is really huge for us.”
Kilgore’s son, Kai, has been coming to the market since before he was born. Now, he helps around the farm and joins his family at the market. His favorite crops include beets, collard greens, carrots and broccoli.
Despite the change in location, Kilgore said familiar customers quickly showed up Saturday morning.
“Pretty much everybody in front of our booth were customers that show up every single Saturday,” she said.
Pictured above, New Hope Farm is an organic farm operated by Olga, a Congolese American grower who specializes in fresh produce and traditional African vegetables.
Longtime market shopper Heather Colin, who regularly supports the market, said she had mixed feelings about leaving the previous location. But as she walked through the new space Saturday, she said the large crowd stood out.
“Right now it feels a little more congested than the old location, but I think it’s just because there’s so many more people here,” she said.
Parking had been a concern for some neighbors ahead of the move. Market leaders say shoppers can use parking at nearby state agencies, providing as many spaces, if not more, than at previous locations.
For Kilgore, the Botanical Garden already feels like a natural fit.
“The first time we came on this lot, I was like, ‘Oh, this is where you have a farmers market,’” she said. “‘This is where it should be.’"
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