There's a lot of talk about the Beaver Street Farmer's Market moving, and hopes that it'll move Downtown, in hopes that it'll be yet another step in making downtown a more social/economical place to be.
I've been to the Beaver Street Farmer's Market. It doesn't just need a new home, it needs a makeover once it gets there. It needs to make the Winter Park Farmer's Market its role model.
The WPFM is as much a Saturday social scene as it is a place to pick up fresh produce, baked goods, potted plants, or crafty things. People bring their children and their dogs to walk down the maze of booths and check out what's new, see friends, and pick up this week's veggies.
The beautiful thing about the WPFM is the way it's set up; the property is a converted train depot. The former train depot allows its space to be rented by permanent sellers, and the outdoor area is perfect for transient sellers who prefer to come out just on Saturday mornings.
So far in Jacksonville, the BSFM is awesome for fresh veggies, but it's more of a stop 'n shop than a place to see and be seen. The Hemming Plaza Farmers Market has an entertaining aspect, but it's fairly small and leaves a lot to be desired in the "farmer's market" sense (it seems more arts & crafty than fruit & veggie).
If Jax's two current lackluster markets can merge forces into a great, central location - we'd really have a reason to brag.
References:
Urban Jax's letter template to support a Farmers Market Downtown [UJ]
Metro Jax's evalution of the whole thing [MJ]
BSFM, a photo tour [MJ]
Winter Park FM Flickr [FLR]
Winter Park Farmer's Market [WPFM]
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