Produce with a dash of play
Railyard event adds music, activities, brews for Wednesday evening farmers market
June 21, the longest day of the year, marks the start of an event series aimed at keeping weekdays bright, even as days grow shorter. The Santa Fe Farmers Market’s Wednesday evening market will run from 3 to 7 p.m. weekly through Sept. 27. At the same time, nearby restaurants Boxcar and Second Street Brewery will feature food and drink specials, and the Violet Crown Cinema will host a pint night with new brews.
Railyard art galleries and retail shops plan to stay open late, and live bands, performers and artist lectures will entertain those who come down to the tracks.
Organizers are calling it Wednesday Eve @ The Railyard.
“People can come and go to the farmers market, maybe see some art and try a new brew,” said Sandra Brice, events and marketing director for the Railyard Community Corp. “In the middle of the week, when there isn’t a whole lot going on, it just gives a little spark.”
The market’s opening Wednesday kicks off in conjunction with Make Music Santa Fe, a concert in honor of international Make Music Day.
From 5 to 10 p.m., local acts such as Latin rock and pop band Sol Fire, Mariachi Buenaventura and reggae band IYAH will play at the Railyard.
In addition to market vendors, the event will feature local food trucks such as Freezie Fresh and Taqueria Gracias Madre.
Live acts on the following Wednesdays include performances by author and storyteller Joe Hayes and the Wise Fool circus. Santa Fe Clay also will host guest artist lectures at the Wednesday markets, and the Railyard Performance Center will host West African dance classes and performances.
Art galleries including TAI Modern, Blue Rain Gallery and EVOKE Contemporary plan to stay open until 7 p.m. Wednesday nights for browsing.
“We’re optimistic that this could be a good community event that will bring foot traffic to the Railyard,” said Ann Atkinson, a sales
associate at TAI Modern, which specializes in contemporary Japanese bamboo art. “We welcome any opportunity to educate people on this art form.”
The Wednesday evening farmers market also offers another chance for locals to get fresh produce and for vendors to sell their wares outside of the Saturday and Tuesday morning markets, said Amara Nash, business manager for the Santa Fe Farmers Market.
Last year, the inaugural Wednesday night market got off to a slow start.
This year, Nash said, there’s a lot more synergy and creative collaboration planned around the Wednesday Eve events.
Food vendors, for example, have gotten creative about their offerings — expanding their dinner menus to include things like shish kabobs and Guatemalan tostadas, Nash said. Amy Fagan, a vendor with Crumpackers Bakery, plans to partner with a meat vendor to create market-fresh hamburgers.
“Most people recognize we are stronger together,” Nash said.
“If we can create an event and some buzz, and another opportunity for Santa Feans to come out and enjoy all the things the community has to offer, we’re all going to benefit from that.”
Contact Sami Edge at 505-9863055 or sedge@sfnewmexican.com.