The Independent Marketplace is a monthly experiment in food, drink, art and culture; a celebration that draws successful, established food and art purveyors from surrounding counties to converge and share their talents on the "First Thursday" of each month.
Conveniently located in the heart of Sand City's West End District at The Independent (600 Ortiz Ave), The Independent Marketplace provides an upbeat, safe environment for both singles and families to enjoy fresh produce, gourmet and freshly prepared food, coupled with beer, wine and specialty spirits tasting for singles and parents alike.
Framed as a monthly gathering of friends and family, the Independent Marketplace is intended to introduce, educate & enrich our communities understanding of sustainable food issues‐ in a social & safe venue. Members of the Indy community are encouraged to buy produce from boutique organic farmers, fresh fish from community supported fisheries such as Fresh Catch Monterey, freshly baked breads, pastries and confections, and artesian packaged foods, pickled concoctions and homemade jams.
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Co‐owner of Happy Girl Kitchen in PG California, Todd Champagne, MCs the event and curates the food selections as the Independent Marketplace Manager. Todd draws on over a decade of experience in the San Francisco Bay Area foodie community where he participated as a vendor in well over 20 markets and currently operates a satellite store in San Francisco's Ferry Building. Todd's connections and insights bring together members of the foodie community who aren't readily available to the Monterey Bay public. Many of the 'Taste Makers' (the title we've dubbed our Indy food vendors) participating in The Independent Marketplace do not participate in any other local events or come from outside of the area.
Each month features changing theme that is in keeping with the season, and changing group of food purveyors and products. Visiting vendors from Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Bay Area and eventually as far south as LA will be paired with a revolving group of notable locals. Seasonal themes insuring that visitors never know exactly what to expect. What they can count on finding are products that are always thoughtfully crafted with only the freshest ingredients. The Independent Marketplace takes food culture seriously, without pretension or attitude. Rather, this free marketplace believes that people from all walks of life should enjoy access to great food pairings delivered by Taste Makers who believe in not only the products they offer but the process of growing, baking, and making them.
Find out what's happening in Santa Cruzwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Unlike other local markets, The Independent Marketplace allows market goers to imbibe while they shop. With each market, Beer Stewards, Sommeliers and Mixologists are invited to curate craft beer and small production wine, and (occasionally) mixed drink selections.
Unlike other local festivals, The Independent Marketplace is both free and specifically oriented to locals. Unlike other local farmers markets, the environment is distinctly more social. The flip‐flop inspired vibe offers young and old‐ an opportunity to intermingle and meet. Recognizing that life doesn't stop when you have kids, young parents have an
opportunity to take advantage of our 'Kid's Corner', presented by various youth oriented community groups with each market.
Believing that creating community, not selling products, are the purpose of the gathering, The Independent Marketplace is making a clear attempt to 'give back'. Each marketplace will host non‐profit partner. Market goers are encouraged to donate between five and ten bucks to help a good cause. Exceptions are made for students, who are asked to give chip in $2 to participate. But the choice is theirs, and we want it to be a conscious one.
The timing of each market (from 4pm to 9pm) is meant to encourage Indy community members to grab dinner from visiting hot food vendors and food trucks. As with the selection of fresh foods, the hot food vendors change with each market and often follow a seasonal theme.
The Independent Marketplace celebrates Sand City as a both a new foodie haven and an emerging arts district by inviting artists and crafts people to feature handmade art and artifacts presented by the makers themselves. As with the food selections, the arts vary by month. Both live music and DJ sets are offered at each Marketplace, which is becoming a new venue for local agents and producers to experiment with emerging talent.
When: Thursday May 3 (and the first Thursday of every month) What time: From 4pm to 9pm
Where: The Independent, 600 Ortiz, Sand City, CA 93955
Why: To create community.
For more information: tc@sandcityca.com or call 831‐394‐6000
