Flushing Farmers Market

On June 15 a farmers market will come to Flushing.

The decision, however, will revisit the Flushing City Council after a four week trail period.

The Flushing Downtown Business Group approached the city council at the April 11 meeting to request approval of a farmers market to be held down Cherry Street on Wednesdays from 2 to 7 p.m. The decision was tabled until Monday’s meeting.

Downtown business owners were favorable of the idea, but Flushing City Managers have some safety concerns.

The council agreed at Monday’s meeting that the farmers market was a good idea, but it’s still unsure of the best way to go about it. So for four weeks the Downtown Business Group will go forward with the market but it will have to come before the board in June to approve it for the remainder of the event, which is targeted to go through October.

“If we can make it work and make it safe it’s a wonderful thing,” said Bow.

The groups initial thought was to allow the vendors to use the parking spaces down Cherry Street from Mill Street to Elm Street, but Bow said portion of the street might have to be closed off.

The first week Bow said Cherry Street from Main Street to the alley past Cornwell Park will be closed off, giving residents free reign to walk around the market without worrying about traffic.

“I don’t want to take any chances here just to sell fruit”, Bow said.

Ed Sullivan, owner of “Sullivan’s Irish Alley” however, hopes to not close down the road and just put orange fencing around the vendors to make it in impossible for people to walk in between the vendors and into the street.

Sullivan said the opportunity to open a farmers market is exciting for the community.

“Anytime we can get people into downtown Flushing it benefits downtown Flushing,” he said. “We want Flushing to succeed. We want Flushing to be vibrant.”

Those interested in participating in the Flushing Farmers Market are asked to call the Flushing Chamber of Commerce at 810-659-4141.