Market offers area growers top selections this weekend
By BENJAMIN SHARP news@leader-news.com

The Wharton County Farmers Market is returning to Monterey Square this weekend, but won't have an El Campo site until next summer.

The Wharton market's fall season opens from 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday and features all sorts of winter crops, including cauliflower, broccoli, turnips, onions, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, grapefruit, lemons, cucumbers, squash, herbs, greens and honey.

An assortment of baked goods and arts and crafts will also be featured, including a new selection of rustic, welded metal decorations.

As in past markets, musical entertainment and cooking demonstrations will be part of the festivities.

Cindi Bena, the market's treasurer, said there are currently eight vendors who will set up along Houston Street in downtown Wharton. The street will be closed off to through traffic.

"We have a couple of new vendors coming in versus last fall," Bena said.

The market kicked off its inaugural season in the spring of 2006, with about a dozen vendors. Response was strong, with vendors frequently selling out within a couple of hours.

That stimulated the opening of a "sister" market during the week in El Campo.

Both markets closed in the summer of 2006, then reopened this past November for a fall season. The second spring season began this past May.

El Campo will not have a market this fall, Bena said.

That's due to the market being set during the evening hours of the work week.

"There's no daylight after 5:30 p.m. at this time of the year," she said.

Wharton's market is expected to run from this Saturday until around Dec. 16. New vendors are accepted at any time. Booth spaces are $10 a week for vegetable vendors, $15 a week for vendors selling baked goods and $20 per week for craft vendors.

All items for sale must be either home grown or handmade.

Anyone wishing to reserve a booth can call Diane Matula at 532-0242.