Opening event welcomes downtown chef community and nine new vendors
RALEIGH, NC (May 4, 2015) – The award-winning Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market, produced by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA), will return for its sixth season on Wednesday, May 6 with a Pig Pickin’ Celebration. The opening event welcomes downtown residents, workers, and local chefs to kick off the Market’s 2015 season with a classic pig pickin’ and an opportunity to connect with over 30 North Carolina’s highest quality growers and food artisans, featuring nine new vendors. The Market will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at downtown Raleigh’s City Plaza, 400 block of Fayetteville Street.
This year, the DRA has invited the downtown Raleigh chef community to tour the Market on opening day to meet local farmers, sample seasonal farm produce, and start conversation on the farm-to-table connection. At 12 noon, Mayor Nancy McFarlane will officially open the market, and four downtown Raleigh chefs (Jason Smith of 18 Seaboard, Caroline Morrison of Fiction Kitchen, Arthur Gordon of Irregardless Café, and Michael Rigot of Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen) will discuss the local food movement from their own perspective.
The event will feature a true eastern North Carolina pig-pickin’ from the Pit BBQ serving authentic pulled pork sandwiches from their food truck (available for $5), live acoustic music from Russ Thompson, and information on plans to bring bikeshare to the city from Raleigh BikeShare. In addition, festival goers will have the opportunity to shop local produce and artisan goods from over 30 vendors.
The 2015 season welcomes new local farmers and producers: Beyond Sweet Potatoes, Cilantro Mediterranean Grill, Citizen Pops, The Freezing Pointe, Happy as a Coneflower Farm LLC, Robin’s Kitchen Lab, Sweets by Shayda, and Vollmer Farm. Rye Bar & Southern Kitchen has signed on as a new lunch vendor, offering local box lunch options along with returning restaurants, Buku, Kimbap, and The Pit BBQ. Throughout the season, the Market will feature guest craft breweries, food trucks, and local vendors.
The Market will occur weekly on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through September 30, 2015, and will feature live music, over 34 farmers and vendors, local lunch box-to-go options, and food festivals.
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About Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market
Produced by Downtown Raleigh Alliance, the Raleigh Downtown Farmers Market strives to be a guiding force in shaping the environmental, social, and financial health of downtown by bringing the highest quality local growers and food artisans together to the Raleigh community. The downtown market contributes to the sustainability and success of downtown by serving as a community gathering place, a vehicle for a regional economy, and a center for fresh, local food. The downtown market is made possible by Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. We would also like to thank Wellness Sponsor Rex Healthcare. For more information, visit RaleighEatLocal.com.
About Downtown Raleigh Alliance (DRA):
DRA is an award-winning nonprofit organization whose mission is to continue the revitalization of Raleigh’s downtown. The Alliance enhances the quality of life and positively impacts the economic success of downtown through six core services: 1. Safety, Hospitality & Clean Ambassadors; 2. Strategic Branding & Community Communications; 3. Special Events Production; 4. Retail Attraction & Merchant Promotions; 5. Strategic Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement; and 6. Strategic Planning. For more information about the DRA, please visit www.youRhere.com.