I started to see the slow transition over the past couple of years, but this year, the stark reality has set in: The Farmer’s Market is now the Food Truck market.
Besides a few ACTUAL fresh vegetable stands and flowers and the delicious mushroom man everything else is a food (truck) vendor. And who would want to buy fresh fruits and veggies when surrounded by all that tasty grease?! Don’t believe me? Just go down there. All you see is people standing in line for their caffeinated corn syrup and burnt wood oven pizza. I also have heard the rents got raised for the farm vendors. That makes sense 
There has been this push over the past few years to create a ‘food truck park’ no worries, it’s here, every Saturday at the Farmer’s Market.
At least dogs are still banned . . . for now.
I have emailed the farmers market multiple times over the last few years to tell them I can help make it better but they don’t reply or answer their emails so I don’t feel bad for them and hope it keeps getting worse
The Farmers Market disappeared, just like Ribfest and Jazz Fest. Fun things disappear when Mayor no tie doesn’t like it.
The city paid over $1M to build that glorified Farmer’s Market shelter at Falls Park more than a decade ago, then turned it over to this group charging them a very minimal contract each year. This group then turns around and cherry-picks its vendors and jacks their rent. Great business model, eh?
Why isn’t the contract put out to bid every 3-5 years? Once upon a time, there were several folks interested in moving their market to Falls Park. They were never given an opportunity.
And why is the Market only on Saturday mornings? There’s no reason some of these smaller markets scattered around town couldn’t utilize the shelter for a weekday or weeknight Market rather than having it sit empty like a church.
What’s it with food trucks? Why are they so preferred around here? What about a boutique shop found in a truck, that would be something. Personally, I prefer cars:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdGWRq1dVBA
“That’s right!”…. “All of our local institutions are disappearing”….. “GermanFest, Ribfest, JazzFest, and now the Farmer’s Market”…. “What’s next?”….. “Ice boats at the Bunker Ramp?”….. “Wow, I tell you, it’s something (“Someday?”…) else around here”…. (…. “But at least we have a new $20 million bridge”….
)
“Say, I’ve got a great idea for a new local institution around here: Food Truck Demolition Derby!”……
Food trucks smell, leak grease and oil onto the concrete, create sound pollution with their generators, are expensive, don’t create jobs, are unhealthy, are blind spots for driving, take up useful parking spots, can set up shop anywhere, even near housing, and, nothing you can do about. Go sioux fallZ!
Food trucks are now at Menard’s, too, but where’s my 11% rebate?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Icc62it0EDA