Friday, 10 June 2011 14:12

You're invited to celebrate the season opening of Fondy Farmers Market on Saturday, June 25th! Opening Day means the return of farmers and long-awaited fresh, locally grown springtime treats like strawberries and spinach. Meet your farmers and your neighbors at your favorite farmers market for a fun-filled day of entertainment and activites for the whole family. The market is open from 7am - 3pm and entertainment and activities take place from 9am - 1pm. The event is free and all are welcome.

Celebrity judges will again anoint Milwaukee’s BBQ king and queen during Fondy’s 4th Annual BBQ Cook-off. Local residents compete against each other in two categories: pork ribs and chicken. First place winners in each category receive a $400 cash prize; second place winners receive one round-trip AirTran Airways airline ticket. Judging of the chicken and pork rib BBQ takes place at 11 am and pork at 12 pm. Think you're the best grillmaster in town? Register to compete by contacting Young Kim at or 414-562-2282. Or, click on the links to view BBQ Cook-off Rules and Entry Form. Space is limited, so be sure to enter soon!

The Jazz Panther’s, a children’s jazz trio from MPS’s Maryland Avenue Montessori school, kicks off the celebration by performing the National Anthem. Between 10am and 1pm, the market comes alive with music and dance from Milwaukee’s Aarabhi School of Dance and the Egyptian bellydance troupe Amiret el Sahara. Kids will enjoy a free petting zoo, face painting, special Youth Booth activities, and the juggling antics of Oh!No! The Miltown Clown. Taste delicious free samples while watching Fondy’s award-winning Taste the Season live cooking demonstration. And everyone can participate in a free Nia class - a unique blend of dance, martial arts, yoga, and healing arts that boosts physical and emotional well-being.

More than 30 market vendors will be present opening day, including Craigland Farms, Brehmer’s U-pick Farms, and Walnut Way Conservation Corp. (the only producer of honey in central city Milwaukee). New vendors include Serenity Soap Works & Oak Hollow Acres, Pam Ella’s Artisan Patisserie, and Bridie’s Garden Market. Shoppers should come hungry for the tasty treats they’ve been craving all winter from returning vendors Amaranth Bakery, Yammie Pie Co., Egg Roll Lady, Vi Nai Cafe, and Corn Man, plus BBQ and soul food prepared by Checker Board Foods, Fondy’s newest prepared foods vendor. 

“I’m expecting 2011 to be another banner year for the market,” extols Young Kim, Executive Director of Fondy Food Center. “This past April we launched the 80-acre Fondy Farm in Port Washington. Look for delicious, sustainably grown fruits and vegetables from the farm at the Fondy Market this summer. We’ve also been compiling a wish list of produce varieties that our customers have requested over the years. Our farmers are busy trying to grow as many of those varieties as possible! Look for announcements via our Facebook page or our website!”

For more information, please contact Jenni Reinke, market manager: 414-562-2282 (office), 414-933-8121 (market), or .