Port Huron Farmers Market finds its rhythm in new downtown location

Every Saturday morning from May to October, the lot at 100 Merchant Street in downtown Port Huron transforms into a community hub filled with fresh produce, local food trucks, live music, kids’ activities, and a buzz of conversation that fills the air. 

This is the first season at the farmers market’s new location, and organizers say the move has helped the market grow into something more than just a place to shop—it’s becoming a gathering space that reflects the city’s community spirit.

The change wasn’t small. For nearly two decades, the market operated at Vantage Point, a riverfront location run by Acheson Ventures. But after leadership shifts, Lisa DeLong, now Downtown Development Authority Director for Port Huron, stepped in to ensure the tradition continued.

“The owner of the property and the CEO both passed away within about a year and a half time frame,” DeLong says. “When we knew that was going to happen, I approached the city of Port Huron back in November of 2024 and said, ‘Hey, the farmers market is very important to not only our vendors, but our community as a whole. Can you, as the city of Port Huron, take this on?”

The city agreed. By spring 2025, a new site downtown was up and running—complete with gifted tents from Acheson Ventures, smoother infrastructure, and room to grow.

“When we were down on Vantage Point, although it was lovely, it was on the river. We also had the problem of dealing with it being a dirt lot. So everything that comes along with that—dirt, potholes, mud,” DeLong says. “Now we’re in a nice paved parking lot on the opposite side of the river… and since then we’ve been able to bring back farmers market bag giveaways, add more musical components, food trucks, and more partnerships with local organizations.”

New Energy

Helping steer that growth is Liz Buckley, who joined the team last year as the on-site market manager. She now runs the market full-time, overseeing everything from vendor coordination to community programming.

Part of her focus has been getting the word out. “I went really hard on Facebook last year,” she says. “This year, we also added a TikTok… We’re again just really getting the word out there, getting more involvement, really just trying to make people want to be involved and engaged with the market.”

The effort has paid off. New vendors and food trucks have joined, and community programs have expanded. One highlight is the Power of Produce program, funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. Aimed at kids ages 2 to 13, the program challenges them to take two “power bites” of a new fruit or vegetable in exchange for a $5 voucher to spend at the market.

Last month, one of the events focused on crookneck squash.

“Two children had never seen it, never heard of it, never tried it before—and one of them went and bought some. They loved it so much,” Buckley says. “One week we did cherries, and the vendor actually sold out that day. So it also helps our farmers.”

Other programs include Senior Project Fresh, which recently shifted to a digital system for distributing food benefits to seniors. Buckley says both she and DeLong have been hands-on, helping community members sign up. 

“It’s one of our huge programs in St. Clair County that a lot of other farmers markets and farmers don’t accept, so it’s a really big program for us,” Buckley says.

Partners in Health

Another major boost has come from partnerships with organizations like the Blue Water YMCA. Their team has been on-site regularly this season, promoting everything from child care to fitness classes.

“Actually, Lisa DeLong gave me a call, and she offered us a spot and asked us if we would be interested in being involved with the farmers market,” says LeeAnn Baker, community engagement director at the Blue Water YMCA. “That was the beginning of this year’s season of the farmers’ market.”

The Y has used the market as a platform to connect with people outside its walls. “We do way more outside of our walls than we do inside our walls,” Baker says. “We prepare over 800 meals a week and get them out into the community. We offer financial assistance, we teach water safety to fourth graders. There’s so much that we do outside these walls that a lot of the community doesn’t realize. So what better way to promote that than at the farmers market?”

Their “Y on the Fly” van—stocked with sports equipment for kids—made appearances this summer too, giving parents a chance to shop while kids played nearby.

“We definitely benefit from it, because we’re exposing all the programs that we offer here to the community, and I think the community is benefited by learning about that,” Baker says. “Every time we’re out in the public, especially at the farmers market, we have seen results.”

More Than Shopping

For both organizers and partners, the market’s value goes beyond food—it’s about building connections. 

“We have a lot of partnerships that are going on,” DeLong says . “We hope to see many more in the next coming years, especially nonprofits that want to come down and pop up a tent… It’s just really like a community hub of people being able to come down and see what we have going on, and then they can see what their organizations have going on.”

With events planned each Saturday through October—including a kid-friendly trick-or-treat market to close the season—there are still weeks left for Port Huron residents to check it out.

“We’re always looking for new ways to engage folks in obtaining food easier, fresh food easier. Any type of funds that we can get our hands on to help us reach that goal and to get those fresh items to the people that need it the most, we’re working hard to do that and to grow on that.”

She adds, “And like Lisa said, a permanent structure would be amazing. We have a very long wait list, so we would love to add more vendors.”