Sara Hardy Farmers Market moves to Rotary Square for pavilion construction
Sara Hardy Farmers Market shifted to Rotary Square through October as crews prepare a pavilion for more than 100 vendors, changing downtown foot traffic and parking.
The Sara Hardy Farmers Market moved to Rotary Square through the last weekend of October, clearing the way for July 27 groundbreaking on a permanent pavilion that is expected to hold more than 100 vendors. The temporary setup keeps the market open in downtown Traverse City while construction begins.
The relocation changes the flow of shoppers, cars and pedestrians in the heart of downtown during peak season. The market is now operating at Rotary Square, where the same vendors are staying in place for the move. For residents and visitors, that means a different parking pattern and a different walking route through the downtown blocks that surround the market.
The move follows months of planning around a broader downtown project. On Nov. 24, 2025, the Traverse City Downtown Development Authority board approved a final design for the new pavilion, backed detailed engineering work for Rotary Square and recommended making State Street two-way permanently.
Construction timing also shifted around the National Cherry Festival calendar. The pavilion had originally been expected to break ground in spring 2026, but by February the schedule had shifted to after the festival so the National Cherry Festival’s carnival midway could stay in the same area over the summer. By July 16, the market had already relocated to Rotary Square for the rest of the season.
Sara Hardy Downtown Farmers Market has been an area institution since the mid-1980s, and SEEDS has managed it for the Traverse City DDA since 2011. The new pavilion will give the market a permanent covered home after years of operating outdoors downtown, with a fixed structure designed around the scale of the market’s vendor base.
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