This weekend is the last chance for Jupiter locals to shop for artisan goods, food and other items on The Farms.
The Jupiter Farms Outdoor Market, which launched in May, will wrap its season on Saturday, March 26. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Farms Marketplace. The hope is to return after the summer, once the weather cools down again, though organizers hope the market can soon become a year-round affair.
Since May, the Jupiter Farms Outdoor Market has been held on a monthly basis (minus a couple of cancelations due to weather). It’s run by Keepin’ It Local, a nonprofit focused on locals supporting locals.
“Originally the idea was I wanted something where everyone who was local could get together and figure out what their neighbors do,” said Jasen Butler, founder of Keepin’ It Local and the The Jupiter Farms Outdoor Market.
Butler said he came up with the concept after thinking about how much he enjoyed outdoor markets and wishing Jupiter Farms had its own.
“I put the idea on Facebook and people volunteered to help. … Vendors started signing up for something that didn’t even exist,” he said.
At the first event, more than 40 vendors participated.
The free monthly markets have included all sorts of products: homemade candles, clothing and even bat boxes (essentially a birdhouse but for bats). The latter is a hot-ticket item, he says.
“Most people don’t even think about bat boxes, but everyone wants one once they see it,” butler said.
Food vendors at the market have sold boiled peanuts, homemade cheeses, pepper jellies, seafood and more. The monthly markets also typically include music, a bounce house and pet adoptions.
“We try to create an atmosphere for families to take the kids,” he said.
Vendors must pay a $20 fee to participate in the market but can keep all the profits from their sales. The fees help pay for items such as the bounce house and restrooms. Any surplus goes to charity.
So far, a local student has received a scholarship from Keepin’ It Local to cover her last semester of college. Butler ultimately hopes to raise enough money to “adopt a grade” at a local elementary school in the future.
Butler said he’s amazed to see all the people that show up each month and feels proud to be able to introduce his neighbors to all that local businesses have to offer.
“I hear people talk about it at Publix when they go out,” he said.
To get involved with Jupiter Farms’ Keepin’ It Local, join the Facebook group here.
Farms Marketplace; 16891 Jupiter Farms Road, Jupiter
Courtesy Melanie Bergante
Bat boxes courtesy of Gail Deer Barkley
(Featured image via JewelScent Boutique)
Correction: Jasen Butler is the founder of Keepin’ It Local and the The Jupiter Farms Outdoor Market. A previous version of this article misidentified him as Jasen Benton.
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