CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – This year, the Christiansburg Farmers Market is at Huckleberry Park, the third location in the last few years.
Rose Gillum, owner of Divine Delights Bakery VA, said the market has moved three times already — once from Hickok Street to the Recreation Center, and then from the Recreation Center to Huckleberry Park.
Now, the town council is deciding whether the market should move back to its original location on Hickok Street in downtown Christiansburg.
“The Christiansburg Farmers Market was moved to the Christiansburg Recreation Center as the previous town council voted to build a permanent structure in downtown Christiansburg on Hickok Street,” said Christina Bolt, director of public relations for the Town of Christiansburg.
A return to Hickok Street has been the plan since construction forced the market to change locations. But with the success of the latest location at Huckleberry Park, the current town council is discussing the future.
“We moved the market to Christiansburg Huckleberry Park. And since it’s been there, it has been doing better than it was at the Christiansburg Recreation Center,” Bolt said.
“It’s thriving here. We have at least 250 to 300 attendees every week, if not more,” Gillum said.
The park offered a better space for the market than the Recreation Center parking lot and also features amenities that Hickok Street cannot match.
“Hickok Street does not have bathrooms. We have a dog park. We have a splash pad and playground area for the children. And the churches near Hickok Street essentially block off their playgrounds so the children cannot use them,” Gillum said.
But the town of Christiansburg is not certain what caused the jump in weekly attendance.
“Yes, the market is successful for the vendors, and that’s something we want to hold on to. We want vendors, we need vendors. But also, the market is not a destination at the park; the park is the destination — which we love, our park. But what might the farmers market bring if it were to be downtown?” Bolt said.
While a move back to Hickok Street is still the end goal, the Christiansburg Town Council is now asking for public input.
“We’ve recently pushed out a community survey regarding the Christiansburg Farmers Market so that we can take into account what the vendors are experiencing but also what it is that the public would like to see,” Bolt said.
The future of the market is still undecided, but the market will remain in Huckleberry Park every Thursday until the end of the season on October 30. You can find the survey here.