Raise your produce high, it’s market time again! And what a glorious start. This past week, the Tuesday market on 6th Avenue, and especially the Thursday market on Broadway, were bathed in sunshine, bringing thousands of happy shoppers to booths brimming with bounty. An auspicious beginning to the 25th year o
f the Tacoma Farmers Market.
Today, the start of the market signals springtime in Tacoma. Visit and you’ll see happy crowds, fresh produce and flowers, talented artisans, tasty hot lunch options, your favorite street buskers, and more. It’s where you run into friends and neighbors and share a laugh. The vibrant scene pulls you in. It’s become a Tacoma institution.
But this wasn’t always the case. Launching it took an act of faith and courageous vision, and success was far from assured. The fact the market has grown every year since its inception is a testament to Tacomans’ commitment to their community.
Formed in 1990, th
e TFM was originally the effort of two extraordinary women: Marcia Moe and Norma Honeysett. They had several bold goals: to promote a walkable downtown; create community through access to fresh, locally-grown food; foster a vibrant scene on Antique Row (the original market location) and the Theater District; and help usher in an economic rebirth that would spread across downtown. It was a daring and audacious idea—and history has proven them right. The market is now credited with playing a significant role in the revitalization of downtown.
In its first year, the downtown market had fewer than 30 vendors. Today, the Broadway market hosts more than 70 vendors, and in 2014, vendor sales topped $625,000. An average of 3,000 to 5,000 people visit the Broadway market each Thursday.
Tacoma is rare, and lucky, in that it has so many farms located just a few miles from downtown. But the market is about more than access to healthy food—it’s also a social experience and community cornerstone of several neighborhoods across the city. Plus, over the past 25 years, the market has been an economic driver and small business incubator for hundreds of farmers and entrepreneurs.
And it keeps on growing. Along with markets at Broadway, 6th Avenue, South Tacoma, and a location at the MultiCare Tacoma General campus, a brand new market is opening on June 17 on the Eastside. The good work continues to spread.
In honor of this quarter-century milestone, we will be doing a series of blog posts about the history, impact, and future of the market. This will include stories about each location by neighborhood, market vendor profiles, and a special interview with founders Marcia Moe and Norma Honeysett. So please stay tuned! In the meantime, we’ll see you around the market.
Happy 25th anniversary, TFM!