With a little less than two months left in this year’s season, the Downtown Marquette Farmers Market is as busy as ever.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday until Oct. 27, vendors from across the U.P. gather in the Marquette Commons to share food and art with the community.

“People might think that things would wind down in the fall, but some of the best products and the best produce comes in at the end of summer,” said market administrator Sarah Monte. “Tomatoes, lots of greens and squashes are all in peak season around this time of year.”

The farmers market offers a wide range of seasonal delights, including produce, meat, eggs, wool, maple syrup, body care products, flowers and baked goods from the area.

“While most of the vendors are from the Marquette area, we consider all of the U.P. to be local,” Monte said.

For some students, the farmers market is the best place in town to get fresh food.

“I definitely prefer to get my produce and some other things from the farmers market when I can,” said post-baccalaureate nursing student Kalen Walkington. “The quality is definitely better than a supermarket, and it’s pretty affordable.”

Keeping prices down and making payment easier is a priority, Monte said.

“I think most people would assume it’s cash-only, but we accept credit and debit cards, as well as bridge cards,” she said.

A new program called the Double Up Food Bucks program, doubles the money of people who use a bridge card to pay. If a person spends $10, $20 is given out to the customer, Monte said.

Whether students are shopping or just looking for something to do, Monte encourages people to stop by.

“You can’t find better food in the area, but there’s also live music and other fun activities going on that make it a great place to hang out,” she said.

At 10 a.m. and noon on Saturday, Sept. 22, the farmers market will be holding a fall demonstration about the benefits and possibilities of using fall produce.

These free events are often beneficial, Walkington said. “The demos and events at the market are cool because often times I don’t know where to start with cooking but they help teach people how to better use fresh food.”

For more information, call Sarah Monte at (906) 235-6389.