Plant City commissioners approved two resolutions Sept. 8, designating food truck rallies and farmers markets as community events. The sponsors of these events hope to bring more visitors and consumers to the downtown district.
Although the event sponsors will be working largely independently, they still have to make sure the city manager’s office approves most of the details, such as date, time and location. These details have not been finalized, but the sponsors do have tentative plans for them.
“Once the event parameters have been approved, the city’s role will be one of support, much like what we do now for the Bike Fest and (Strawberry Classic) Car Show,” Assistant City Manager Bill McDaniel said.
FARMERS MARKET
The farmers market will make a comeback this fall with a new name: Plant City Local Harvest Farmers Market, sponsored by the Downtown Merchants Association.
The market will be open between 4 and 8 p.m. every Wednesday in McCall Park, between Palmer and Evers streets. The market will run year-round, except July and August.
Patricia Rogers, president of the Downtown Merchants Association, said details could not be solidified until insurance issues had been worked out. Two insurance companies have been working on quotes.
So far, 15 vendors who used to come to the market have agreed to return. Karen Elizabeth, a member of the Downtown Merchants Association and an organizer of the original and new markets, said there definitely would be at least two produce vendors, including Ecofarm. One critical criterion for the vendors is that their products were locally made or grown.
Rogers hopes the market will lead patrons to become more familiar with the businesses in the downtown district. The market will have an information table, where members of the association can display flyers or other literature about their businesses.
“A lot of people don’t know all the great things we have downtown,” Rogers said.
Elizabeth said she had other ideas to make the market even more enjoyable for visitors, such as monthly themed days. For example, one market day might be pet-themed, and special vendors could sell pet-related products. There also be could a Halloween event in October.
FOOD TRUCK FRIDAYS
This summer, the City of Plant City hosted downtown food truck rallies. The event was canceled after two months, but it will return under new leadership this fall.
The Robert B. Willaford Railroad Museum Society Inc., will be operating the rallies from now on. Benny Lubrano, the museum’s director, has taken on responsibility for the event.
Lubrano said the community had really enjoyed the short-lived food truck rallies.
“It’s a shame that they weren’t able to do it more than two times,” he said.
Now, the event will become a fundraiser for the museum. Unlike when the event was under the city’s control, each food truck will be charged a vendor fee, which will support the museum.
“It’s not like we need to make tons of money on it, but it would be nice to make a few dollars every month,” Lubrano said.
Some vendors will commute from Tampa, but Lubrano expects the majority of them to be Lakeland-based.
“The ones from Tampa, for them to be here at 5 on a Friday afternoon … That, I think, is going to be our hardest sell for them,” he said.
Lubrano hopes the first food truck rally in support of the railroad museum will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. The rallies will continue every third Friday of the month at the same time, as long as they are popular.
Contact Catherine Sinclair at csinclair@plantcityobserver.com.