With holiday pop-ups behind us, but warm Saturdays at Albuquerque’s Downtown Growers’ Market still months away, the organization is working to fill the void by bringing back its long-dormant Winter Market this weekend. Manager Kat Cannella spoke with KUNM about the market’s newest iteration, which kicks off this Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at a new venue.
KAT CANNELLA: So, right now we're at Fusion. Fusion is a performance, theater, campus space. And right now we're standing in the 708 Room, which is where we'll have our wellness and artisan vendors inside. And then, right outside of this is our Fusion lobby, and we'll have some more indoor vendors. And then, right outside these double doors is the meadow. And the meadow is where you can expect to find our farmers, some artisans and our prepared food vendors out there. We'll have a bunch of people. We have over 50 vendors who are going to be here on Saturday.
KUNM: Of course, the Growers Market includes a lot of growers with fresh produce. Will that be possible here at the Winter market?
CANNELLA: I believe so, yeah. We have a number of farmers who are prepared to sell winter vegetables.
KUNM: And now this isn't the first time you've done a Winter Market. You held November and December markets pre-pandemic, and then you did a farm-to-car winter market in 2021, kind of at the height of the pandemic. What's new about this iteration?
CANNELLA: We can do things in person now and it's being held at Fusion. So, we're just offering a new space. So, you know, we want to give it its own space so that the winter market could be here, the growers market can still be Robinson. And we just picked January, February and March because it'll lead in to our regular growers’ market.
KUNM: You're only going to be holding it once a month. Why so seldom?
CANNELLA: We just want to gauge customer traffic. We want to see if they enjoy a winter market. We want to kind of see what produce will be available, if people will want to see other produce available next season. And, just because we're kind of bringing it back post-pandemic and everything, we just wanted to start slowly.
KUNM: What would a successful response from the community look like to you?
CANNELLA: Like a lot of energy, a lot of people down here. They would just be bustling. It would still have the same vibe. I understand it's going to be cold. We will have a coffee shop open so people can come get warm beverages. There'll still be hot food prepared on site. So, I think it'll just look like community showing up to shop locally in the winter months.
KUNM: And if you get hit with a lot of excitement, a lot of traffic, is it possible that you'll extend it, or how might you respond?
CANNELLA: Anything is possible. That's how I'll respond. That's all I'll say for now, just because I'm not really sure. But, you know, if we have a great response I don't see why we wouldn't be able to hold it more often.
KUNM: Since this is a new space for folks who are regulars at the Robinson Park market, are there any logistics that people should be aware of in terms of getting here on Saturday, parking, accessibility, those types of things?
CANNELLA: The market is accessible. The one thing that is probably not the most accessible, similar to Robinson Park, may be parking. But just know that there's plenty of parking on the surrounding streets, and we'll be here waiting for you. So, take your time, find your parking, and get here safely. It's all we want you to do.
KUNM: In terms of other things that may be the same or different than the market that folks are familiar with, will you be accepting SNAP benefits and other food assistance at the Winter Market?
CANNELLA: Yes. We will have our regular information booth set up with our token table and everything like that. They can come and shop regularly, just as they would at the Downtown Growers' Market.
The first 2025 Winter Market will be held Saturday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fusion, 708 1st Street NW in Albuquerque. Future markets are scheduled for February 22 and March 15.
