Buckley Country Market open Saturdays

Buckley’s 14th annual farmers market – renamed this year as the Buckley Country Market – opened May 8 to sunshine and blue sky. Vendors set up shop to sell produce, dairy, baked goods, flowers and crafts.

The market has returned to Thunderbird Park this year after trouble with a location up the road last year, organizer Marlis Ross said.

“Anyone from the surrounding areas can still come and set up a booth,” she said. “Buckley would just like to bring more of the attention on the town with the new name.”

The city will also be using this year’s market as an example in applications for grant money and a place on the state’s list of official farmer’s markets. To earn the spot on the list, the market will need to obtain at least five vendors selling farm goods and ensure farm vendors represent a majority of the booths at the market.

As an official farmer’s market, the Country Market will place processed food sales and crafts booths as second and third priorities, respectively.

“What we did wrong last year was to have 19 of our 20 booths comprised of crafters,” Ross said. “People want to go to the market for fresh food. With the economy down, they just don’t see the need to purchase as many crafts.”

The Country Market will be open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Sept. 25. As the summer moves forward, the market participants will consider adding a Tuesday afternoon-to-evening market, Ross said.

Contact Enumclaw Courier Herald Reporter Daniel Nash at dnash@courierherald.com or 360-802-8010.

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