Ithaca Farmers Market fundraising for new parking lot

The Ithaca Farmers Market is at a milestone moment in its new $3.8 million parking lot project; the design is complete, it has city of Ithaca approval, and it has received bids from three contractors.

This is the first time in its 50-year history that the Ithaca Farmers Market (IFM) has had a public fundraising campaign, which kicked off with an event last week. The evening included a presentation from Whitham Planning Design Landscape Architecture PLLC, who provided an overview of the project scope and timeline.

The fundraising will continue with Oktoberfest festivities at the farmers market pavilion Oct. 10 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

The project won a $3.2 million New York state local waterfront revitalization program grant, which was submitted in 2021 and awarded in 2022. IFM is required to contribute 15% of the project’s cost.

The fundraising goal is $750,000, and so far the Friends of the Ithaca Farmers Market and others have raised about half that amount.

“It’s really exceptional in terms of poising us for success in the fundraising campaign,” Heidi Adami, IFM capital campaign manager, said of the grant. “The community loves the farmers market — it’s a community jewel. It adds so much to the culture and vibrancy of the community, and it’s an economic driver and a business incubator. I perish the thought of it not being there because it’s not accessible.”

“Because we have a state grant, we have some parameters around picking the bid,” Monika Roth, president of the Friends of IFM, said Thursday. “We have to meet the criteria, and then we’re required to choose the lowest bid that is qualified.”

The decision about the contractor will be made around the middle of October, with the hope of breaking ground in November, “not necessarily construction, but clearing the site and getting it ready for construction, and then construction continues into the fall and even winter if we have good weather,” Roth said. “That means in the spring, when the temp is right for laying down asphalt, we’ll be ready.”

On a weekend, the market is likely to see about 5,000 people, totaling about 100,000 visitors throughout the season.

The Oktoberfest event is $25 for an advance ticket and $30 at the door and includes one plate of Oktoberfest-themed samplers, one 12-ounce pour of beer or cider in a souvenir cup and a live show by Cast Iron Cowboys. There will also be a silent auction. Children 12 years old and younger are free. The samplers will be served cafeteria-style, so people can pick and choose what they would like on their plate. Other food, such as pretzels and dessert, will be for sale, with all of the proceeds going toward the parking lot project.

Cast Iron Cowboys deliver a “mixture of boot stomping barn burners, two-stepping dance numbers, and evocative ballads,” according to a press release from the farmers market. “The band’s repertoire includes original songs, as well covers from timeless artists like Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Doc Watson to contemporary musicians like Tyler Childers, Colter Wall, and Billy Strings. Five-part harmonies, multi-instrumentalists trading solos, and an unflappable groove bring the community together in heels, hats, and attitude to fit the theme.”

“I caught them at Grassroots, and they were a lot of fun. The ticket price for that alone — that’s a deal,” Adami said.

The brand-new parking lot will cover the bumpy dirt and gravel area bordered on all sides by trees and bushes, where attendees of the farmers market frequently find themselves in a traffic jam while trying to find a space. A few parking spots may be gained, Roth said, but the objective is not to make the lot bigger — just more accessible and easier to navigate.

There won’t be a complete clearcut of the trees, but it will certainly look different, Roth said, adding that the new trees and shrubbery are part of the plan and that there were no trees at the site when the market began in 1987.

“In 35 years, you get mature trees,” Roth said, “so even after 10 years, even though it might look drastic once it’s cleared, it will change relatively quickly.”

One of the major issues with the parking lot is visibility. Because they cannot see into the lot, visitors who are trying to park tend to assume the parking lot is full even though it is not, because of a line of dozens of cars already parked outside the lot.

“There’s always like 50 cars parked outside where people walk into the market, and when you go into the parking lot there are 20 spaces available,” Roth said.

Adami said she recently waited 20 minutes to park in the lot on a farmers market morning. “I forced myself to go all the way to the very back of the lot, and I was shocked at the open spaces,” she said.

Instead of two big, long rows, there will be four rows to allow traffic to flow in multiple directions. The plans also include a number of walkways to increase accessibility and a new bike lane with bike racks.

Lighting will be installed. Currently there is no lighting in the parking lot, even though the market does get rented out for nighttime events.

“It’s a scary project for the market because we’re a small organization, and all our revenue comes from vendor fees. … We only raise enough money to operate the market, so there is not a lot of cash laying around,” Roth said.

This is phase 1 of the market’s plans for future improvements. Phase 2 is improvements to the pavilion (bathrooms added to both ends, restoration of the existing structure, larger offices and better accessibility), and phase 3 is waterfront development. Roth said IFM may apply for funding from the grant source, but “we want to get this done before we tackle something else. We’ve got to live through this one.”

Though construction will likely continue into the summer months, the intention is to continue parking vehicles in the parking lot during next year’s market season while the work progresses.

Roth said that as the waterfront around the farmer’s market continues to be developed, with new housing going up in the surrounding area, she hopes the market can partner with the developers and the city of Ithaca to ensure that the market is well maintained and cared for, even as more people use it as a park.

“We were the little place at the end of the road for 30 years,” Roth said, “and now, all of a sudden, we have neighbors.”

The picnic tables and trails make the farmers market an inviting place to eat and spend time with family, but the market, which rents the space from the city, is currently responsible for all of the upkeep.