7/13/2013
Kevin Haas, RRStar

ROCKFORD — Rockford City Market is on pace to draw record foot traffic this year. Attendance at the downtown outdoor market is up 48 percent through its first six weeks, according to organizers. The 29,589 people to visit the market’s local growers, restaurants, artists, musicians and other unique retailers is the largest six-week attendance figure in its four-year history. “This is like the beginning of another (On the) Waterfront,” said Paul Wixom of Rockford, referring to the music-and-food festival that drew thousands downtown each Labor Day weekend for 29 years and was called off in November. “This is pretty cool. Downtown needs something.” He and his wife, Denise, were trying out City Market for the first time after reading in the paper how it had been growing in popularity. He went home with new vinyl records he bought from Kate’s Pie Shop. “I’d like to see it expand,” Denise said. Anderson Organics had one of its best weeks for business last week, said Ben Striker, a field farmer for the company. From 3 to 5 p.m., sometimes as late as 6 p.m., “they come here and treat us like it’s a grocery store,” Striker said. “After that, you get the people who are coming off work. That’s when it really starts to explode.” The constant foot traffic is more than just a chance to sell produce, Striker said. It allows the company to educate onlookers about the benefits of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables and teach them the best-tasting ways to prepare it. “We’re trying to redefine what is fresh, what is healthy and what tastes good, too,” Striker said. Anderson Organics, which has its home base at 5404 Paulson Road just northeast of Rockford, was one of 61 vendors Friday. That’s seven more businesses than this time last year. Additional booths are coming, including one from a Super Bowl champion. Sean Considine, the Byron native who won a Super Bowl ring with the Baltimore Ravens this year, is bringing his first post-football venture to City Market. Considine partnered with Lance Headon of Headon’s Fine Meats and Catering in Creston, and they plan to debut Headon’s & Considine’s Mobile Meat Market next week. “When I was playing for the Ravens this year, Lance was sending out his jerky and beef sticks to the locker room, and the guys were just going crazy over it,” Considine said. “I couldn’t get enough of it out to the locker room for all my teammates.” Read more: http://www.rrstar.com/news/x853688232/Popularity-puts-Rockford-City-Market-on-pace-for-record-traffic#ixzz2ZmugLKin


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http://www.rrstar.com/news/x853688232/Popularity-puts-Rockford-City-Market-on-pace-for-record-traffi