This year, the Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market celebrated its 40th anniversary. Since its establishment in 1971 by local produce growers, the market has grown significantly and on Wednesdays and Saturdays year round, the Downtown Mall is bustling with local craftsmen, artists, entertainers, food vendors and, of course, farmers. The celebration kicked off on May 11 and it was quite a turn out. The mayor and other local representatives spoke on the importance of the market to sustainability in our community and the crowd was treated to live music performances by Mae Walker and Crooked Beaver Creek. The celebration continued through early fall, with select weekends focusing on Las Cruces history, the local community, dance and the arts, and local farming.
The anniversary celebration was made even more special by the announcement in September that the Las Cruces market was voted the #1 large farmers market in the country in the 2011 America's Favorite Farmers Market contest, which is sponsored annually by the American Farmland Trust. Congratulations and a big thank you to all the vendors, sponsors and organizers who have made our local market the best in the nation! |
