The Downtown Raleigh Farmers Market is opening in its new home

The Raleigh Downtown Farmer's Market is as much a lunch spot as it is a veggie stand.

This year's market, which opens May 9, has a new location, leaving its City Plaza location on Fayetteville Street to Market and Exchange Plazas up the street, or the two corridors that surround the new Poyner YMCA at 227 Fayetteville St.

It now is known as Market on Market and will be open Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. until Sept. 26, the week of this year's Wide Open Bluegrass festival. It will be closed on July 4.

Special events are planned through the season, including a berry celebration on May 16, the Honey Buzztival on June 20 and Tomatolicious on July 11. No word yet on when the popular grilled cheese cookoff will be held.

The move means Fayetteville Street stays open on Wednesday market days but also taps into Raleigh history by returning to the site of the first market at Metropolitan Hall.

“We are responding to stakeholder concerns about Fayetteville Street being closed too often for events, so we are adapting to better utilize existing public spaces,” said Kris Larson, Downtown Raleigh Alliance's president and CEO, in a release.

“(The market) will utilize the beautifully improved Market and Exchange Plazas, and will expand access to the market by moving it closer to the Moore Square Transit Station. Additionally, there is a great historic connection for markets at this site in particular, as this was the location of Raleigh’s original city market, Metropolitan Hall.”

Raleigh's downtown market could be considered less stock-up-for-the week and more I-feel-like-an-empanada for lunch endeavor.

Vendors are local farmers, bakers and artisans, but also local restaurants preparing quick and easy lunches.

“Market and Exchange Plazas have a wonderful greenspace kind of feel, one that will really add to the overall warmth of this year’s markets,” said Chase Bryan, DRA’s director of events, in a release.

The Market on Market is organized by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance and the City of Raleigh.

For a list of vendors, go to raleigheatlocal.com.

This story was originally published May 9, 2018 at 11:20 AM with the headline "The Downtown Raleigh Farmers Market is opening in its new home."