Every Saturday morning in the summer, the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp isn’t just filled with cars; it’s filled with stalls of fresh produce, handmade crafts and artisan goods. Both vendors and customers mill about, exchanging more than just products. The Iowa City Farmers Market is an event that builds community between farmers, businesses and community members.
The market is held every Saturday during the summer from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp and on the adjacent East Washington Street. Registered vendors sell everything from quilts to flowers to pastries.
The market is especially popular among university students, but students at West are no exception. Whether they’re working, shopping or simply enjoying the market, West students take advantage of the market to the fullest.
Melissa Marrón-Romero ’27 does cashier work for Luna’s Tacos, a Mexican food vendor in the food stand area of the market. “I like the independence of it, but also have to work with others…but I like the dual partnership that we have,” she said.
Although Marrón-Romero has known the owners since she was five, she grew closer with them after she was hired. “My boss is super nice and understanding of if I have a conflict or something, and I just really like her,” she said.
The market fosters connections not just between coworkers, but also across the counter and even across businesses. “It’s fun to talk to the customers. They always come with new items, and I’m like, ‘Where’d you get that?’ The Farmers Market interchanges food, so I always get to try the new things from the other vendors or try the new things from where I work, so I like it,” Marrón-Romero said.
More than work and entrepreneurship, students at West can simply enjoy and support local businesses. Imogen Olszewski ’29 said, “It’s so fun to see people we know and the stuff that they get to create, like A&A Creations.”
The farmers market lets students be their own boss, too. Ananya Snigdha Aedhu ’29 and her sister founded A&A Creations, a small business that allows them to share their passion for art with Iowa City.
“Me and my sister really like art, like painting canvases and all, so we heard about this and painted some canvases,” Snigdha Aedgu said.
As the summer winds down, the market is closing up shop for the season, which will end with a bang on Oct. 25 with Halloween. Vendors and customers alike will celebrate with trick-or-treating, pumpkin decorating and a costume parade, but that isn’t the last of this year’s market.
In the winter, they will host their annual holiday markets, offering the community handmade and seasonal food and gifts perfect for the holiday season. The markets will be on Nov. 15 and Dec. 6 in the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center.
