The E. Warren Farmers Market Schedule Has Been Extended!

Nikki J., owner of Hiptique Resale and Gifts at 16235 Mack Ave. in MorningSide, displays her merchandise at the first East Warren Farmers Market. Image courtesy of Jim West

Food trucks, fresh produce, and vendors selling everything from candles to jewelry to home-baked treats have been filling up the parking lot of the former Charter One Bank building every Thursday afternoon for the past few weeks. Activating vacant properties along the E. Warren business corridor is just one early project of the East Warren/Cadieux Plan to improve three neighboring Eastside communities - Cornerstone, East English Village, and MorningSide.

The E. Warren Farmers Market launched with 15 vendors on August 13th. Since then the market has grown to 30 vendors, almost exclusively Eastside neighborhood businesses. The market has added community favorites such as The Lobster Food Truck, SnoBiz Detroit, Terri’s Cakes Detroit, and Stacey’s 2 Day Tea to the roster.

The number of fresh food producers and growers from all three neighborhoods has grown with offerings from Rivendale Farms (Morningside), Lawn Gone Food Farm (EEV), Spirit Farms (Cornerstone), and Myers Farms (Cornerstone).

In the first four weeks local vendors have generated close to $15,000 and roughly 1000 people have patronized the E Warren Farmers Market. It’s been such a success, in fact, that the vendors voted to extend the market schedule through mid-October and discussed opportunities to create a holiday marketplace along E. Warren in November and December.

This inaugural market season was made possible through the support of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan grant for the Design Center in a Box, a program of the Detroit Planning and Development Department.

Although these funds were intended to help redesign a brick and mortar space and provide an informational space for the E Warren-Cadieux Planning Study, due to COVID-19 we were forced to pivot and identify alternative mechanisms to implement this grant. The team went back to the drawing board and analyzed responses received by the E. Warren/Cadieux Planning study survey, which indicated many residents were interested in a local Farmers Market.

As a result, the team was able to re-envision the use of these funds to meet the interests of the community during these unprecedented times.

The market is a program of the E. Warren Development Corp, whose mission is to support and enhance the E. Warren commercial corridor and adjacent neighborhoods through collaboration, community engagement, and equitable development. Our vision is to have 100% business occupancy of E Warren with a diverse mix of walkable, accessible community driven businesses that serve everyone in the community.

Customized earrings dedicated to the Black Lives Matter movement. Image courtesy of Mark Rutherford

Fresh batch of tomatoes at the East Warren Farmers Market. Image courtesy of Mark Rutherford

Patrons checking out the Save Detroit apparel. Image courtesy of Mark Rutherford