Rain clouds and a light drizzle didn’t stop the return of Cortez Evening Market on Tuesday night at City Park.
About 11 vendors of arts, food, produce and beverages set up at the market, as shoppers trickled in search of Montezuma County-cultivated goods.
One of those vendors was Cecilia Bento, of Bento Pork Farms in Yellow Jacket. Bento raises pigs and sells pork by the pound at the regular Saturday market. She also sold at last summer’s Evening Market, noting that it was a great way to reach more shoppers who may not be able find weekend time to come out on Saturday.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Bento. “Some people come to town to work, and I know the last thing they want to do is drive back in on their Saturday off, so hopefully we’ll get some more of that traffic.”
Gretchen Gronke, Evening Market coordinator and community health organizer with LiveWell Montezuma, said the market will have “more and more produce” as the season progresses.
In season now, and featured at the Saturday market as well are beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, garlic scapes, green onions, greens, herbs, kohlrabi, lettuce, live plants, radishes, rhubarb, spinach, sugar snap peas and summer squash.
The Cortez Evening Market events are slated the first Tuesday of every month, ending in October.
The next markets are slated for Aug. 4, Sept. 1, and Oct. 6. They run from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
