Fairmont Market Square brings local vendors together

When Fairmont native Mari Phelan started working at the NewBo City Market in Cedar Rapids, she was delighted with the way the market combined local vendors, art and events. It didn’t take long for her to decide to bring something similar back to her hometown.

“I started thinking, ‘This could be something really fun for Fairmont,’” she recalled.

Phelan approached friends in Fairmont with her idea, and she said there was instant support. A committee of four core planners (along with several other volunteers) banded together and started brainstorming.

“I wanted to take it slow and get everything right,” she said, adding that it took about a year of planning before they hosted their first event at Heritage Acres in 2014.

Phelan explained that the group chose Heritage Acres as its event site because Heritage Acres already hosts events, so it was easy to tie in to those gatherings. There have been seven events so far, four in 2014 and three in 2015. They all feature local vendors, a farmer’s market, area entertainment and kids’ activities such as hay rides. The most recent event was in October 2015.

“We’re getting more vendors every time,” said Kylie Saari, one of the organization committee members. “I felt like we had a really interesting mix of vendors [at the October event]. That event was probably the best one we had, with 25 vendors and about 500 people coming through.”

While most of the events have been pretty similar, Saari said one change has been adding free classes for people to try, such as a beginner’s yoga class offered in October. The hope is to continue offering different classes.

While all the events have taken place at Heritage Acres so far, Phelan said the committee hopes to eventually move Fairmont Market Square into an indoor/outdoor space, perhaps renting buildings from Heritage Acres so the entire event isn’t outdoors anymore. Another option is making the event mobile, so it’s in a different location every time. Eventually, Phelan said she’d love to see Fairmont build a community center where the market can have a permanent home.

“I’d like to tie it in with downtown,” she said. “It could be a business start up for people who want to try selling their products, [like] an incubator to give them experience.”

Saari added that one desire for the community center would be the inclusion of a commercial kitchen and space for community classes. She also said that the committee has been looking into picking a location in the blighted part of town, with the hope of revitalizing the downtown community—though it will probably take a few years to reach that stage of the project.

“We spent the last two years gauging what people are looking for in the area,” she said, explaining that the committee has worked with Fairmont’s Project 1590 group, which has also been looking into a community center for the city. “We feel like we’re getting a better idea of what people want to see, and that’s local. Local is a big focus for us. We’re really trying to encourage local businesses, local eating, local farming.”

Phelan says she’s not sure when the next Market Square event will be yet since the group is still planning the 2016 schedule. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page, Fairmont Market Square.

(Photos courtesy of Fairmont Market Square.)

According to Steve Hawkins, a member of the Project 1590 committee, a regional wellness center was the No. 1 suggestion offered up by Fairmont residents when Project 1590 volunteers surveyed the city.

“For us, when we look at this project, all the projects are important, but that was clearly the No. 1 thing people wanted, so it’s going to be one of our main focuses,” Hawkins said.

He added that it made sense to work with the Fairmont Market Square group because their goals fit with the overall vision of Project 1590, from creating a destination downtown to celebrating Fairmont. So far, Project 1590 members have attended Fairmont Market Square meetings and vice versa as the two groups collaborate and support each other.

Hawkins explained that the proposed wellness center is still in its infancy as Project 1590 members plan out exactly what sort of center will best benefit Fairmont and the surrounding area. The committee is working on a survey to pass out over the next few months, with the hope of gathering information about what Fairmont residents want to see in such a center by the end of the year. Suggestions have ranged from an indoor pool to an ice-skating rink.

“We want to make sure we’re getting as close to as what the community is looking for,” Hawkins said. “The quality of life that a wellness center adds to the community… it’s a major investment. The more we can use it, the easier it’ll be to pay for it, and the more we can bring our community together.”

Once the committee determines what Fairmont residents want, members will then map out a more detailed plan, estimate the cost and begin fundraising. They have already begun applying for grants and touring other area wellness centers, as well as meeting with local legislators Rep. Bob Gunther and Sen. Julie Rosen. In addition, members have begun collaborating with the Region Nine Development Commission to create a strategic plan for the center and all the other projects that are moving forward.

Hawkins said a handful of other projects have already seen progress after being chosen as priorities in May 2015. One sub-committee has worked on a multi-trail system, with the hopes of connecting the trail to other cities, such as Mankato and Jackson. The committee has targeted a section within Fairmont city limits to begin constructing in 2016, and the city of Fairmont has budgeted funds for the project.

The Lakes Foundation is another group that has seen progress. It was already in existence before Project 1590 surveyed Fairmont residents, but more people are volunteering with it now to study area water quality, build retention ponds, install new docks and stock lakes with different kinds of game fish.

Another group has been working to refurnish and reuse vacant buildings across Fairmont. Originally, members focused on commercial properties, but they’re now looking into residential properties and vacant lots as well. The latest effort has been to create a survey to hand out across neighborhoods to see what issues homeowners are facing (such as damaged roofs) and to find ways to offer assistance. Members are also working with the city’s Economic Development Authority to locate grants to rehabilitate area neighborhoods.

Hawkins listed several other projects that have just gotten started, saying it will take a while to see progress.

“It’s going to take a year or two before we really start seeing [the changes], but the enthusiasm is still there, and a lot of work is being done,” he said. “We have to be patient. But the community’s already starting to get a really good feeling that we can do this. There’s some excitement that’s building, since they’re seeing things happening. When you get everyone working together, people say, ‘If they can do it, I can do it.’”