'Eastern Market Tuesdays' On Tap For Fall

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
DETROIT (CBS Detroit) Worried all the fun of summer will disappear after Labor Day? Fret no more, because Detroit's venerable Eastern Market is keeping the spirit of summer alive through October 30.

For the second year in a row, Eastern Market is hosting "Market Tuesdays," where vendors will showcase the best of metro Detroit after the summer growing season is over.

"Tuesdays feature a sampling our historic market experience though the inclusion of farmers, flowers, produce dealers, specialty products, and prepared-food vendors," market staff said in a press release, adding, "For 2012 we are planning on making 'Tuesdays'' a weekly community celebration through the inclusion of special events highlighting the agricultural, social, culinary, and artistic treasures of our city, region, and state."

Tuesdays will include educational events, culinary demonstrations, and community outreach opportunities.

Detroit Eastern Market Tuesdays run 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. exclusively in Shed 2 at the corner of Russell and Winder streets.

"We definitely have a very nice mix of plants, flowers, prepared and specialty foods, but we have more of a focus on specialty foods on Tuesday," said Fiona Ruddy, a spokeswoman for the market. "We just think it's a great opportunity to try out some new vendors and foster their growth."

She said vendors who hope to get a regular Saturday spot are setting up on Tuesdays to gain traction and attract an audience of farm marker lovers. Vendors like the Vang family, who are Hmong, are building an audience with unusual offerings like Chinese vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, long beans, Chinese spinach, and sprouts.

"It's a great opportunity to try people out," Ruddy said.

The market also hosts food truck meet-ups the last Tuesday of every month. "It happened this week and there were lines everywhere. It was super fun," Ruddy said.

Tuesdays are a great day to bring the family down to Eastern Market, she added. "It's different than Saturday, there are more families, more room to sit down, it's not as hurried, you can talk to the people who are making and growing your food."