24Every Saturday from April to December, the grounds of the Fayetteville History Museum transform into a bustling street market full of good food and local crafts for sale.

City Market at the Museum brings together 25 to 30 of the city’s artisans and makers to create a unique shopping experience for those visiting downtown Fayetteville.
Vendors at City Market must sell produce, farm products or food from a certified kitchen. If selling crafts, vendors must have had a hand in making them, maintaining the market’s commitment to selling local products to local consumers.

“I think the City Market is just another important element in the concept of a ‘vibrant downtown,’” said Bruce Daws, museum director. “People have an opportunity to enjoy an outdoor market that offers farm-fresh, local and organic products. It’s also great for people interested in different types of art.”

Originally a farmer’s market operating out of the parking lot at the Cumberland County Courthouse, City Market at the Museum, as it’s known today, has been in operation on the museum grounds for a number of years.

The Fayetteville Area Transportation & Local History Museum, located in a restored railroad depot, tells the story of Fayetteville’s rich history through a series of engaging rotating exhibits. Recipient of the Gertrude S. Carraway Award of Merit for historic preservation, the museum itself and its annex give visitors to the City Market a little more bang for their buck.

“It’s a nice crossover, with the market located here,” Daws said. “People wander into the museum and get another cultural opportunity. They come to buy tomatoes and leave with a little dose of history. It’s shaded; it’s grassy and nicely landscaped. I think it’s just a total experience.”

City Market at the Museum aspires to be a place where people of the city come together to enjoy the local color of downtown Fayetteville. It’s a place for families to get outside and an opportunity for small businesses to share their offerings with the community.

“It’s’ a very friendly environment,” Daws told Up & Coming Weekly. “People bring their children and dogs, and it’s nice to see regular customers interacting with their favorite vendors and witness the camaraderie between them.”

Downtown Fayetteville strives to bring culture, art and support to local businesses through a wide variety of weekly events. Daws sees the City Market as directly in line with those aims and enjoys offering people a new experience.

“[The market] is just something else in the larger scheme of things. There are lots of restaurants and unique boutiques; this is just another piece of that patchwork quilt that makes the downtown so vibrant and gives it character. For everyone here at the museum, probably the greatest thing to see is people walking around and talking to one another.”

City Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.
The Fayetteville Area Transportation and History Museum is located at 325 Franklin St. in Fayetteville.

For information about City Market at the Museum, visit www.facebook.com/Fayettevillehistorymuseum/.