By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
Recent record-setting high temperatures in Hays have many people thinking of spring, including participants in the Downtown Hays Market, who are looking forward to the popular program's annual opening.
"Vendor registration officially opened March 1," said Julie Ryder, executive director of the Downtown Hays Development Corporation, "and we've been getting a lot of calls about how that registration process works."
The market opens Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 25, and will run weekly through October 19, 7:30-11:30 a.m.
The market debuted in 2013 and is now in its 11th year. Last year, it was voted the Best Market in Kansas in the 15th-annual America’s Farmers Market Celebration, sponsored by American Farmland Trust and the Farmers Market Coalition.
"We're really blessed to have Ben Dome back for a third season as the market manager," she said. Dome is a local student whose position is made possible through the regional NexGeneration Internship program.
To participate in the 2024 market, potential vendors must read and sign the registration form. The four-page packet includes the market rules vendors must follow, details about what they'll be selling at the market, a copy of their Kansas sales tax registration certificate and their contact information.
"Some of our vendors drive from as far away as 80 miles to Hays," Ryder said, "arriving here just before daybreak."
Last year, the market had 63 vendors, selling everything from produce and locally raised meats to garden flowers and baked goods, plus lots of homemade crafts and gift items.
A $50 registration fee allows participation in all 22 weeks of the market. There is also an optional $50 reservation fee for the same spot each week in the downtown pavilion, 10th and Main, or adjacent parking areas.
"Many of our long-time vendors choose this option because it helps their customers know where to find them each week," Ryder said. "It has also created wonderful comradery among the vendors as they've gotten to know their neighbors."
The market is set up to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) payments.
Customers may use their EBT cards to purchase tokens to use at vendors' booths to purchase eligible foods, including fresh produce, meat, eggs, honey, baked goods and dairy items.
Also available is another state assistance program, Double Up Food Bucks, allowing customers to match their SNAP purchases of up to $25. Tokens are then used to buy more fruits, vegetables and seed packets.
"Vendors who sell eligible food products can sign up with us to accept these forms of payment. When they accept those tokens as payment, they turn them back into us monthly, and we use a reporting process to the state for their reimbursement," she said.
More information about the market and the registration process is available online at downtownhays.com, or you can call Ryder at 785-621-4171.