Downtown Farmers Market returns to Pioneer Park for 35th year

The Downtown Farmers Market has returned to Pioneer Park for its 35th season with roughly 300 farmers, ranchers, food vendors, artists and crafters, keeping one of downtown Salt Lake City’s biggest weekly draws alive even as the park around it is under construction. The market opened June 6 and runs every Saturday through October 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with booths now stretched around the perimeter and onto nearby streets.

That layout shift is the clearest sign of how much is riding on Pioneer Park right now. Salt Lake City’s $18.4 million improvement project is expected to continue through the fall and finish in late 2026, bringing new playground equipment, an upgraded dog park, restrooms, pickleball and basketball courts, a fountain, a pavilion, a mist fountain plaza, better landscaping and a proposed permanent multipurpose building. During market hours, northbound 400 West is closed to vehicles, and vendors are lining 400 West, 400 South and 300 West while part of the park’s athletic field remains in use.

For organizers, the market is more than a summer attraction. Carly Gillespie of the Downtown Alliance said 60% of Pioneer Park visits happen during the 21 days the market operates, a number that underscores how central the Saturday crowd has become to downtown foot traffic and nearby commerce. Organizers also say the market now draws more than 10,000 visitors every weekend and includes vendors from 16 Utah counties.

The market’s scale has changed dramatically since it launched in 1992. One account says it began with five vendors; another says it started with 10 veggie vendors in the early 1990s before growing into one of Utah’s largest weekly gatherings. Organizers say 65% of vendors are women-owned businesses and 25% are minority-owned, a mix that has made the market a low-barrier entry point for small producers trying to get in front of steady customers.

That role has helped launch businesses that are now familiar across the state, including Bruges Waffles, The Bagel Project, Saffron Valley, Laziz Kitchen, Sweet Lake Limeade, Biscuits & Brisket and Rico Brand. Kevin Nash of Earth First Eco Farm called it one of the biggest markets in the nation, while Tyler Montague of Keep It Real Vegetables described it as a major economic engine.

One notable absence this year is Jorge Fiero of Rico Brands, who is stepping away after 28 years, though he remains on the market board and is exploring national expansion, including talks with Costco. Even with the construction, the vendor mix and the steady weekend turnout show why Pioneer Park remains one of downtown’s most important public spaces and one of its most durable pieces of local commerce.