A new market, featuring local growers, artists and craftspeople, debuted on Mill Avenue Thursday.
The Market on Mill is a free event that will be held every Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m. This week was the venue’s trial run, and a grand opening is scheduled for Oct. 15.
Director of Marketing and Communications for Downtown Tempe Community Casaundra Brown said Tempe is the perfect place for this type of outdoor market.
“People enjoy the walk-ability of downtown Tempe, and being able to have a market that you can easily walk down to is really what we were looking for,” Brown said.
The market is perfect even for people who work in Tempe but don’t live there, she said.
“They can walk down, get something for dinner and head home,” she said.
Brown said the market is also making a difference in the environment and the Tempe economy.
“We’re trying to be the Valley’s first ‘green’ community marketplace,” she said.
Every Thursday the local vendors will be outside MADCAP Theaters at East Seventh Street and South Mill Avenue. The theater will also host several of the market’s events, such as classes about how to grow personal herb gardens and workshops on eating organically.
Market on Mill — which corresponds with Music on Mill, where local bands and disc jockeys perform every Thursday — is a collaboration between the Phoenix Permaculture Guild and Downtown Tempe Community, Inc.
Toni Smith, a communications manager for the Tempe Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event is aimed at being carbon-neutral. It will favor recycled materials and only use energy-efficient lighting.
Smith said Market on Mill gives Tempe a chance to attract more people to the area.
“This is a really good combination of activities and hopefully that will get residents in the habit of going to Mill on Thursday nights,” Smith said. “People like living in a place where there is something to do, but when you are able to program things like this it just attracts more people.”
Brown said local businesses will benefit from the influx of consumers to the area.
“It’s bringing people to the street, and with all those people on the street they are more than likely to go into one of the many venues [on Mill Avenue],” Brown said.
Julian Wright, owner of restaurant La Bocca on Mill Avenue, said he didn’t expect an increase in business, but his business could possibly benefit from local produce being sold at the market.
“I’d love to be able to buy my produce there,” Wright said. “I’m hoping residents support it and it does well.”
Reach the reporter at michelle.parks@asu.edu.
