For more than 20 years, vendors and neighbors have spent their summer Saturday mornings at Robinson Park for the Downtown Growers’ Market.

“It is really fun to come and buy local,” said Elizabeth Caldwell of Erica’s Spice Jams, one of the vendors at the market. “I think it is really important that we support each other, and I love these markets because they really allow us to do that.”

“The community really embraces the Downtown Growers’ Market, so that is something that we are happy about,” Levar Eady said.

Eady is the manager for the market. He said it only gets bigger and better every year.

“We had about 300 vendors apply for the market (but) there is 139 spots,” Eady said. “(And) then there (are) more spots if you include half spaces.”

Caldwell has been one of those vendors for two years now. She helps her sister Erica sell her homemade jam at the market.

“It has been really fun to watch her grow and then like other people around here,” Caldwell said. “Sugar Bombs, she has some of the best gnash with chocolate. You have skin care, donuts, such a variety there are different cultures and foods here.”

She said they’ve made some good memories under this tent, watching people enjoy their unique homemade jams and talking about new combinations.

“It is a lot of fun, we do free samples and it is really fun to just watch people taste the different flavors,” Caldwell said. “We have a green chile flavor which really captures the local flavor of the green chile, smokey, but it is also sweet.”

While this season comes to a close, Eady said, “The planning for next season has already begun, the applications for the 2025 season (are) already up. They close November 30 so people that are interested, please apply and then we have our jury process that begins in January.”

Eady said they are also considering a kids market in 2025, to inspire the next generation of farmers and vendors.

“Have some kids entrepreneurs and kind of encourage them to have an idea of business and financial forecasting, things of that nature to encourage future entrepreneurs of Albuquerque,” he said.