Young group to open Barr Market for local vendors
By Ryan Lengerich
A lost piece of downtown history will be revived when a group of young professionals opens the Barr Street Market next month.
Farmers will sell their produce and vegetables for four straight Saturday mornings beginning Sept. 10 thanks to the efforts of Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana. It marks a renewal for the once booming market that served Fort Wayne for more than a century. The market slowly crumbled as downtown changed after World War II and suburban sprawl made such marketplaces less relevant.
"The focus of the market is to provide people a place to come downtown and buy some products they can't get anywhere else," said Andrew Thomas, an organizer with Young Leaders of Northeast Indiana.
Young Leaders, a volunteer group that formed this spring, has about 400 members who promote youth involvement. At the group's first meeting members discussed the need for a downtown market. Breathing life into the Barr Street Market seemed a natural fit, and the group had the members to pull it off.
Opened in the 1830s, the Barr Street Market was a downtown staple until it closed in 1957. It opened again in a smaller capacity in the 1970s but never enjoyed the same prominence again.
The land is owned by the Allen County/Fort Wayne Historical Society, which operated the market in the early 1990s, but the society did not have the staff to keep it open, said Julie Morrison, marketing director for the History Center.
Thomas has secured verbal commitments from about eight vendors. Dan Flotow, a certified organic farmer in Allen County, might sell his produce on Barr Street if his schedule permits.
"Fort Wayne is underserved, that is the biggest thing," Flotow said. "In other cities the same size as Fort Wayne there are several farmers markets -- and (they are) downtown."
Vendors will set the prices, though they may not be as cheap as they were in 1925, when cottage cheese was 25 cents per quart.
Thomas said arts and craft vendors may set up shop, but he is seeking quality food vendors.
"A lot of the people we have polled have been excited about this. We want to make sure we have a quality product," Thomas said. Feedback will determine whether Young Leaders will open for a full season from spring through fall next year.
"We will not be another festival or event," he said. "What we want to do is create a reoccurring event."
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Visit the Barr Street Market
- What: A revival of the once prominent downtown marketplace
- When: 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays from Sept. 10 through Oct. 1
- Where: Historic Barr Street Market, corner of Barr Street and Wayne Street, downtown
- Organizers: Young Leaders Northeast Indiana ( www.ylni.org)
- Sponsors: Area businesses will sponsor the market, said Andrew Thomas of YLNI.
- No admission price; vendors determine market prices.
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Vendors needed
- E-mail Andrew Thomas at impact@ylni.org. There is no vendor fee.
- Types of products that may be offered include but are not limited to: fruit, vegetables, nuts, grains, herbs, spices, cheeses, jams, salsa, pasta sauces, soups, honey, maple syrup, breads, noodles, pastries