A new farmers market opens Sunday, October 18, in the teacher parking lot at Zilker Elementary School, bringing about 18 local vendors selling produce, eggs, dairy, meat, honey, coffee, sourdough, jams, pastries and pre-prepared meals to the South Austin neighborhood. The Zilker Farmers Market runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1900 Bluebonnet Lane, with free admission, free parking and leashed dogs and strollers welcome.
The market is the brainchild of John Smolen, who serves as its president and founder, according to Community Impact Newspaper. Smolen, whose daughter attends Zilker Elementary, says he got the idea for the market after living in London and New York. He traced the spark to a mundane moment at home: “The breaking point for me which really caused me to think about [the market] more seriously was we had ordered delivery from H-E-B groceries and I was making my kids a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the peanut butter had like 14 ingredients in it,” Smolen said, per the same outlet.
Vendors lined up for opening day include Goatilicious, Hurry Home Farm, Runamuckas Flower Farm, Austin Jam Company, The Greek Bar, Desnudo Coffee and Bali Family Farm, the report notes. Live music from local performers is planned for the market's first few outings. After the October 18 launch, the market will settle into a recurring schedule on the second Sunday of every month beginning November 8, operating rain or shine.
A Board Built Around the School Community
The market is guided by a volunteer board that includes JD Leonard, Emma Catlett, Kim Lippy, Marissa Vetter, Martee Hathorn and Garret Nick, according to the article. It operates as a community-based nonprofit corporation, and Zilker Farmers Market says it is seeking official 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS.
To get there, organizers are seeking community donations toward $10,000-plus in first-year needs, the nonprofit's own materials show. They're also running an online survey to recruit volunteers, professional expertise, vendor nominations and musician suggestions, the same source indicates — the same survey Community Impact Newspaper reported is being used for vendor and musician nominations, suggestions, donations and volunteers.
Proceeds Feed a Two-Decade Garden Tradition
All excess proceeds from the market will go directly to the Zilker PTA, Smolen told Community Impact Newspaper, adding that the market's surplus will benefit both the school and the broader community. Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability, known as PEAS, will provide sustainability education programming at the market alongside Zilker Elementary itself, teaching visitors about seasonal produce, gardening and agriculture.
A retired University of Texas professor known as Jabo began teaching children about plants “20 or so years ago” at Zilker Elementary, where the campus garden is nicknamed Jabo's Garden. The garden later expanded through a partnership with Austin restaurant Odd Duck, which purchased herbs and flowers grown by students, according to Parents' Climate Community.
Fundraising records from 2022 show the Zilker Elementary PTA allocates $19,200 annually to fund weekly classroom instruction from PEAS, according to a GoFundMe campaign for the school.
Rules of the Road for a School-Hosted Market
Because the market sits on Austin Independent School District property, it must follow district facility rules that prohibit the possession, sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco and firearms across district schoolyards, according to Austin ISD. That keeps the Sunday market a dry, non-smoking event, distinct from some private commercial markets elsewhere in the city.
A Small Neighborhood Market in a Big Market City
The Zilker market enters an Austin food scene already anchored by much larger weekly operations. The Texas Farmers' Market at Mueller has been voted the city's top market by the Austin Chronicle for 12 consecutive years, according to the Texas Farmers Market. A neighborhood market like Zilker's focuses on smaller-scale, hyper-local vendor access just once a month.
The school's parking lot offers a walkable, central gathering spot for the South Austin community the market is designed to serve.
