Oxford City Market moves to new pavilion

Published 11:58 am Monday, November 9, 2015

The Oxford City Market will hold its first farmers’ market at the new pavilion on the corner of Bramlett Boulevard and University Avenue on Tuesday from 3 to 6:30 p.m. and market director Betsy Chapman said there will be special events to celebrate the occasion, including free cake.

“Customers and vendors are very excited about our move to the community pavilion,” Chapman said. “I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback.”

The market has been operating on West Oxford Loop on land owned by John Trezavant who allowed the market to use the land until it was developed. As appreciative as Chapman was to have to space to run the market, there was no real parking or, more importantly, bathrooms.

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“We’ll have hardscape for vendors and shoppers plus greenspace for kids to safely play,” Chapman said about the new location.

The pavilion is also very visible and close to schools, the Lafayette County & Oxford Public Library and the Community Garden, which is located just east of the pavilion.

“We’ll be on the bus line so we can better serve customers who rely on public transportation and being close to grocery stores makes shopping for food so much more convenient for customers which is mutually beneficial for the market and grocers,” Chapman said. “The pavilion offers so many benefits to our community of growers, producers and customers.”

For Tuesday’s big move, Chapman said there would be a local chef showdown, cooking demos, lots of samples, food trucks — and did we mention free cake?

“This is a really positive step for the local market community and we’re appreciative of the city discovering that the Old Armory was a pavilion waiting to happen,” Chapman said. “This is just the beginning of building more viable economic opportunities for our vendors and becoming a really great community gathering space for Oxonians to discover the benefits of shopping at farmers markets.”

The last day of this season’s market will be Nov. 24 to allow people to purchase fresh, locally grown food for Thanksgiving dinner tables.

“We’ve appreciated Trezavant Realty’s generosity in allowing us to use the West Oxford Loop location for the first three seasons,” Chapman said. “Even though we knew that it wouldn’t be a long term home since the land was for sale, we’re grateful for the support and hospitality of our neighbors on the Loop.”

For more information on the market, visit www.oxfordcitymarket.com or find Oxford City Market on Facebook.