Summer at 2nd Street Market: Farm goods, flowers and more sold outside starting May 4

What to expect at the outdoor market

Market Manager Lynda Suda said last week they were still in the process of finalizing outdoor vendors. The majority of farmers from last year such as Corner Hill Farm and Nu Sol Gardens are returning.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the outdoor market featured farmers only. When they had to pivot to an outdoor only market in 2020, they proved they could expand outdoor offerings. Since then, market goers can find a little bit of everything outside.

This year, visitors will see several new flower vendors outside as longtime vendor Consider the Lilies is no longer at the market. Suda said Consider the Lilies has grown tremendously over the past 10 years at the market.

Plant sales

Speaking of flowers, the MayFair Plant Sale, benefiting the Wegerzyn Gardens Foundation, will be from 8 to 11 a.m. for members only and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the public on Friday, May 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4 and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 5. The plant sale will feature annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, herbs and vegetables.

The following weekend there will be a Native Plant Sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 12 featuring plant growers such as Native Ohio Plants LLC, Tadmor Greenes, Local Lush, Deeply Rooted Landscape, The Milkweed Patch, Down Nature’s Path LLC, and Regenerate Garden Co.

Both events align with Five Rivers MetroParks’ conservation mission of empowering 2nd Street Market visitors to adopt sustainable practices at home like gardening and adding native plants to their landscapes.

Community compost station now available

Another new offering at 2nd Street Market is a free, community compost station along the back of the market near Webster Street.

About a year ago, Waste-Free Dayton sent out a survey asking people where they would want a compost station in Dayton and 2nd Street Market was a top choice, said Natalie Warrick, founder and co-executive director of Waste-Free Dayton, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a healthier and more sustainable future.

“Opening up a compost station at 2nd Street Market has been kind of a dream of ours, after seeing similar endeavors done in other cities,” said Warrick. “With hundreds of people coming through 2nd Street Market every weekend, we believe that the compost station could become a popular addition to the great things they are already doing.”

This will be Waste-Free Dayton’s second community compost station. In February, the organization opened a compost station at Pink Moon Goods, located at 2027 E. Fifth St. in Dayton.

Waste-Free Dayton’s compost stations are serviced by GoZERO, which accepts a wide range of organic waste such as fruits, vegetables, grains, pasta, baked goods, beans, coffee grounds, eggs, eggshells, dairy, cooked meat, raw meat, bones, seafood and shellfish, other plant and animal-based materials, soiled non-coated paper/fiber products like napkins and pizza boxes, wood and BPI-certified compostable products.

Suda said she hopes this is the first step in making the market more sustainable. In the past, the market has tried composting in various scenarios, but it never worked out due to logistics. This compost station not only breaks down financial barriers, but it is located conveniently downtown for those who can’t compost at home and is open 24/7.

“2nd Street Market is proud to be one of the community compost locations for the GoZERO public composting location in partnership with Waste-Free Dayton,” Suda said. “This opportunity aligns perfectly with Five Rivers MetroParks’ commitment to supporting sustainable living and conservation mission to protect the region’s national heritage.”

Indoor Vendors

Whether you prefer visiting the indoor market or outdoor market, there will be a few indoor vendors that will be outdoor vendors as well. For example, Garber Farms will have fresh, homegrown produce, baked goods, jams, flowers and plants inside and outside the market.

Suda said indoor and outdoor vendors see different audiences. Not everyone makes an entire loop from the outside to inside of the market. Some people stay outside and get produce, while others come inside to eat breakfast before making their rounds.

The indoor market does have a couple spaces currently available, “but we have enough applications that are really good that we’ll probably narrow that down hopefully within the next couple of weeks,” Suda said.

The newest indoor vendor is Lucy’s Pastry Palace, a cottage bakery offering cakes, cupcakes, cookies, gata, biscotti and much more. Tamara Cerovcevic, who owns the bakery with her husband, Dragan, was born in Armenia and lived in Lebanon and Yugoslavia before immigrating to California in 1984 at age 20. When she first came to the U.S., she was a manager of a sewing company and a bridal dress designer. She also baked with her brother but says she didn’t have enough time to do it on her own.

When her husband’s job relocated to Michigan, she worked as a lead cake decorator at a Walmart store for almost 10 years and received second place in the Midwest Regional Cake Decorating Challenge. She was approached by two investors with a proposal to manage two Detroit bakeries they were planning to purchase. She accepted the offer and worked at those bakeries for several years.

In 2020, the couple moved to Ohio to be closer to their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. They started as an outdoor vendor last year, before becoming an indoor vendor earlier this year.

“Starting my own bakery was always my dream and the opportunity to become a vendor at 2nd Street Market made my dream come to life,” Cerovcevic previously said.

Other changes market goers can expect indoors include:

2nd Street Market is always taking applications for outdoor and indoor vendors.

“We may not have space available right now, but if it’s something that we really think is a good fit, we’ll try to get them in there as soon as we can,” Suda said.

What makes 2nd Street Market unique

All year long, 2nd Street Market features a variety of growers, specialty food and prepared food vendors and artisans.

“Every single vendor down here is so passionate about what they’re doing,” Suda said. “They’re passionate about the community. They’re passionate about customer service. They’re passionate about offering a product that’s unique.”

For example, Peace on Fifth features specialty chocolate from around the world, Poppet’s Coffee features locally roasted coffee beans and Pencil Bison Ranch features local bison meat.

2nd Street Market prides itself with having all kinds of artisans. Suda said they like to make sure there isn’t a lot of crossover, but enough competition to give customers some variety.

“I think what makes us stand out is that we have the opportunity to have very small businesses along with very established businesses all under the same roof,” Suda said.

Another important attribute to 2nd Street Market is the diversity of vendors — not only by what they offer, but by country of origin. Having diversity within its vendors has led to a more diverse audience that is more representative of who actually lives in Dayton, Suda said.

She hopes the diversity will continue and is proud they’ve created a welcoming space in downtown Dayton.

Events at the market

2nd Street Market has a variety of events on the schedule for this summer including three Sunset at the Market events — a Thursday evening every other month offering guests an opportunity to shop and eat after hours. Each event will feature entertainment and themed programming. Upcoming dates include June 13, Aug. 8 and a date to be determined in October.

Prepared food vendors will host evening dining events as part of a Culture Kitchen series. Each event features different cuisines and a chance to connect with the chefs. Culture Kitchen events do require advanced registration. Below are the upcoming offerings:

Other summer events include:

The outdoor farmers market will be open during the Market’s normal hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. In addition to weekend hours, the indoor market is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays. For those who utilize EBT/SNAP benefits, many indoor and outdoor produce vendors accept EBT/SNAP benefits, as well as Produce Perks.

More details

2nd Street Market, a facility of Five Rivers MetroParks, is located at 600 E. Second St. in Dayton. For more information and updates, visit metroparks.org or the Market’s Facebook page (@2ndStreetMarket).