Bamford Bakeshop, based in Scappoose, serves baked goods at a vendor booth at a previous Cannon Beach Farmers Market.

Fruit trees are blooming and fields are overflowing with greenery, which means it’s time once again to celebrate farmers market season in the Columbia-Pacific region. This week, two of the coast’s most beloved weekly gatherings will return, joining others already in full swing.

Columbia-Pacific Farmers Markets

Seaside Farmers Market – open Wednesdays from 2 to 6 p.m. on Broadway St. and U.S. Highway 101, through Sept. 28.

www.seasidemarket.org

Cannon Beach Farmers Market – open Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. on Gower and Hemlock streets through Sept. 27.

www.ci.cannon-beach.or.us/farmersmarket

Ilwaco Saturday Market – open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., through Sept. 10.

www.ilwacosaturdaymarket.com

The Seaside Farmers Market will open on Wednesday, set to introduce new vendors alongside returning favorites. Just a few miles south, the Cannon Beach Farmers Market will open on Tuesday, hosting a handful of local makers and growers.

Now in its ninth year, the Seaside Farmers Market will welcome a handful of new vendors this summer, including Baird Family Orchards, Spice and Tea Lab and CheeseButta.

Seaside Farmers Market manager Angi Wildt is excited to welcome a host of new businesses this season. “I’m not sure how we got so lucky,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Cannon Beach Farmers Market looks forward to hosting a growing number of vendors, including four produce farms and a wide selection of locally crafted goods. “We’ve got a great variety of vendors this year,” Cannon Beach Farmers Market manager Philomena Lloyd said. “Spice and tea vendors, an olive oil and vinegar seller, a hummus and pita bread stand and even a cranberry farmer,” Lloyd added.

She notes that since the market doesn’t open until later in the day, farmers pride themselves on the freshness of their goods. “(The sellers) do their harvesting and picking the day of the market,” Lloyd said, “you’re really getting very fresh produce.”

Like markets across the world, music, food courts and samplings were cut because of the pandemic. Thankfully, that won’t be the case for either market this year. While COVID precautions will be in place, the social component of both events will be welcomed back to the streets.

“We’re starting off pretty much normal, we’ll have music and places for people to sit,” Lloyd said. Performances from Bar K Buckaroos, Chasing Ebenezer, Carly Ann Calbero and others are set for the Cannon Beach Farmers Market’s three month run.

Meanwhile, the Seaside Farmers Market is set to have Brownsmead Flats perform for the first time this season. “We’ve been lucky for them to have some time for them to be available to play for us,” Wildt said of the music groups slated to play.

If you can’t wait until you get home to crack open a treat purchased from the market, tables and areas for snacking and socializing will be set up for customers to enjoy artisanal food and beverages at both markets.

Lloyd and Wildt agree these events are vital for supporting small coastal businesses. “When the money is spent locally, then those vendors are able to grow and support the community even more,” Wildt said, noting that vendors give back to the community in a variety of ways. Having the opportunity to meet local growers and business owners is also a unique benefit.

Both leaders agree that local produce picked up at a farmer’s market adds flavor and nutrition to any kitchen. “Making fresh food accessible for everyone is a core part of the event, and speaks to the Seaside market’s broader mission of inclusivity,” Wildt said.