By Cassidy Ritter, Special to Denverite
The parking lot of an art academy in Harvey Park will become a bustling community hub on Saturdays with local vendors and live music.
Educators and Harvey Park residents Allie Bronston and Corey Sampson are launching Harvey Park Farmers Market to serve a Denver neighborhood that has historically lacked access to fresh produce and Colorado-grown food.
The new market debuts May 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy.
The Harvey Park Farmers Market is the product of 10 years of dreaming and a year-and-a-half of outreach and planning for the husband-and-wife duo.
“We love the community in southwest Denver, but one piece that was always missing for us was a farmers market [and] access to local food,” Bronston said, noting that she and Sampson have lived in Harvey Park for 11 years. “We had a hunch that there was a need because we were driving really far to get to farmers markets every weekend.”
When Bronston mapped farmers markets in the region, she found a “huge, huge void in all of southwest Denver.” As she continued to research the region, focusing on the 80219 ZIP code, she noticed the area had been overlooked in terms of intentional development, she said.
The 80219 ZIP code area — which includes Harvey Park, Westwood, Mar Lee, Barnum, Barnum West, Valverde and Athmar Park — is also one of the Denver metro’s most populous areas. It’s estimated that nearly 60,000 people live there, according to 2024 U.S. Census data.
“We built what we actually want to attend,” Bronston said. “It’s the exact market I want to shop at.”
Dozens of vendors
The weekly market will kick off its inaugural year with 60 vendors, including Rebel Farm, Five Freedoms Dairy, Harvey Park Flowers, Denver Pops, Migas Coffee, Kream Kimchi and Know Your Roots Pickles.
“The goal was never to fill spaces. The goal has been twofold — providing a full grocery shopping experience for customers and guests, but also making sure that vendors are coming and able to be really successful in selling their products,” Bronston said.
Bronston and Sampson set out to showcase neighborhood-based, producer-only vendors and uplift local entrepreneurs. Because each vendor must grow or produce the products they sell themselves, shoppers will find an abundance of fresh produce grown in Colorado and, in some cases, in Harvey Park.
Take Rebel Farm, for example. The hydroponic farm operates a 15,000-square-foot greenhouse about a mile from the Harvey Park Farmers Market. This will be Rebel Farm’s first time participating in a farmers market, proprietor James O'Brien said.
“We are in the Harvey Park community, so it makes sense to be involved and support the community,” O’Brien said. “… That part of town really is a food desert, so I think there’s a huge opportunity to cater to people in the community and give them access to fresh produce.”
The company plans to sell Romaine, Bibb lettuce, Rouxai, leafy green mixes and herbs at the market.
“We’re going to be harvesting probably on Friday afternoon, so it’ll be very fresh,” O’Brien said.
Catering to the community
Bronston and Sampson want Harvey Park Farmers Market to become a “long-standing weekly ritual” for their neighbors and for themselves. They also want to make sure food sold at the market is accessible to everyone, including the 9.4% of residents in the area who receive SNAP benefits.
The market and most of its vendors are authorized to accept SNAP benefits. And when shoppers use their SNAP EBT card at the market, they will receive Double Up Food Bucks, a Colorado program that matches SNAP purchases dollar-for-dollar up to $20 a day. Double Up Food Bucks must be spent on fresh fruits and vegetables.
“That will hopefully open up more access for folks to eat really good, fresh local produce,” Bronston said.
Bronston and Sampson also hope the market will become a community hub, or third space, for area residents.
“There is a longing to gather and stay and connect, and I hope we meet that need,” Bronston said.
In addition to the market’s vendors, ranging from farmers, ranchers and dairy producers to pre-packaged and ready-to-eat food, the weekly event will include live music. Shoppers and families will also have access to a nearby park, a playground and open spaces.
If you go …
The Harvey Park Farmers Market will take place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May 2 to Oct. 31.
Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy, 2250 S. Quitman St.
