Farmers’ Market to hold special events Saturday

Gateway Farmers’ Market will celebrate National Farmers Market Week with special attractions Saturday morning.

About 20 vendors will sell the usual variety of fresh produce, all grown within 75 miles of Texarkana, organizer Tom Ayers said. But Saturday’s market offers extras.

There will be drawings every half-hour for free produce, and experts will demonstrate healthy cooking techniques. Children can get a close look at a Texarkana, Ark., Fire Department engine. Food will be for sale to raise funds for new shade curtains on the market’s east side.

At 9 a.m., Arkansas-side Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell will read a proclamation recognizing National Farmers Market Week.

The market is at East Ninth Street and Jefferson Avenue on the Arkansas side. Hours Saturday will be 7 a.m. to noon.

On the other side of the state line, the Texarkana, Texas, Farmers’ Market will have a Night Market from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. The market is at 305 Texas Blvd.

Farmers’ markets and farm stands account for roughly $2 billion of the $3 billion that Americans spend annually on farm-direct products, according to a news release from the Farmers Market Coalition, which organizes National Farmers Market Week each year.