Oct. 7, 2015
By Andrew Breunsbach
Special craft marshmallows. Meat trucks. Live acoustic music. All of this and more can be found in the Whitewater City Market.
Located downtown on the Cravath Lakefont, this collection of approximately 50 merchants convenes every Tuesday between 3 and 7 p.m. in a showcase of foods, crafts and above all, the community.
“One of the things that we want to do is create a place where people can gather and spend time together,” Market Co-Manager Kristine Zaballos said.
As for food, a large variety is offered from authentic Mexican cuisine to stone grilled pizza. A City Market visitor may come across chocolates, marshmallows, a multitude of farm-fresh produce, eggs and a meat truck. Many of the vendors offer free samples of their foods, along with information about their goods.
The City Market intends to bring new vendors or products in every week. For example: food vendor El Grito Taqneria was among the lineup last week, something the board said they were very excited to present.
Live music also is offered on a weekly basis, whether performed by students or regional acts making their way into town. The goal, according to the market directors, is to provide a comfortable environment for all kinds of people to mingle and enjoy themselves.
The committee running the market said they are always looking for more ways to improve the experience for the public.
“We’ve gotten a lot of feedback and incorporated it,” Zaballos said. “Like people said it’d be great if we had water for dogs so we brought water for dogs.”
The Center for Students with Disabilities conducted an evaluation on the market confirming that the market is accessible to those with disabilities.
Comittee member say there is an added push for students to enjoy the market along with the rest of the town.
“Now that we’ve gotten our process down, we want to more emphatically reach out to students,” Co-Manager Tami Brodnicki said.
This week, for example, frozen fruit pops were offered to students who showed their student ID free of charge from vendor Morsels by Marley.
“It’s something we’d like the students to think, ‘Oh hey, let’s go do this really good thing.’ It’s not hanging out in a bar, it’s not staying in their dorm,” Brodnicki said.
As for the future of the market, expansion will be happening next season. The board is looking to expand the market up Second Street, which could add another 25 slots for vendors.
There are still five more weeks left in the season for the City Market. They started a raffle dedicated to the continuation of the program for years to come. Tickets can be purchased at the Triangle table at Whitewater City Market or at the following locations: Associated Bank, Binning & Dickens Insurance, Commercial Bank, Discover Whitewater (150 W. Main Street), First Citizens State Bank, Frame Dog, GMA Printing, Quiet Hut Sports and The Sweet Spot Cafe. Raffle tickets are only $10 each, or six tickets for $50, and prizes include cash prizes of $500, $250, and $100 and various items donated by market vendors.
The drawing will be held on Oct. 27 at 8 p.m. at Second Salem Brewing Company, where the Whitewater City Market end-of-season celebration will be held from 7 to 9 p.m.
