Bowie Farmers Market Opens May 19

Eating fresh and local is about to get a little easier for Bowie residents—the long awaited 2013 season of the Bowie Farmers Market is set to kick off on May 19.

More than a dozen vendors selling fresh, local fare, plants and more will set up shop from 8 a.m. to noon every Sunday through Oct. 27 in the Bowie High School parking lot at 15200 Annapolis Road.

According to the city’s special event’s coordinator, Matt Corley, this year’s market will feature the following vendors (subject to change):

• Uptown Bakers selling breads, muffins, danish, cookies and croissants
• Heaven's Gardens selling perennials, shrubs & bushes  
• Knopps Farm featuring fruits, vegetables & cut flowers
• Body Care Café selling its Strawberry Hand & Foot Scrub, Mojito Lime Scrub, Maple Brown Sugar Scrubs
• Homestead Farm, selling fruit and vegetables
• C&JD’s, offering prepared food
• Richard Hundred Natural Farm offering fresh eggs, fruits  and vegetables
• The Big Kernel will have its famous kettle corn, Fruit Smoothies
• Unger’s Fruit Farm offering fruit and vegetables
• The Breadery selling whole grain and artisan bread, muffins, and cookies
• Sand Hill Farm selling fruits and vegetables
• Doug Bowling Honey Farm selling fruits and vegetables
• The Cosmic Bean Coffee Co. will offer coffee beans, herbal and regular teas
• Bowie Lions Club, selling rain barrels
• Ginny’s Products, selling homemade jams and jellies
• Mama Cocoa’s Delights, selling handmade candies and chocolates

In addition to these food, goods and plant vendors, three local groups have also signed up to host informational booths this year. 

The Maryland Master Gardeners will host a booth on the first Sunday of each month at the market again this year, offering gardening advice; the Bowie Food Pantry will collect food donations and the Bowie Green Team will host a booth every second Sunday to pass out free information on topics related to plants an food, Corley said. 

Several special events are also planned for the year. As listed on the City of Bowie's website: 

• Meet members of the local police and fire departments on Community Day, 9 a.m. to noon on July 7. Free snow cones while supplies last
• Enjoy free corn on the cob fresh off the grill 10 a.m. to 12 noon on Aug. 11
• Agricultural Day will feature a farm animal petting zoo on Sept. 15 from 9 a.m. to noon
• Free scarecrow making (participants need to supply a long sleeve shirt, panty hose, and trousers) and free pumpkin painting (pumpkins not supplied, but available for purchase at the market) will be the main attractions of October Fest, from 10 a.m. to noon on Oct. 28