Crestline Farmer's Market location for this summer under discussion

The date and location for a potential Crestline Farmer’s Market this summer has yet to be determined.

Last year Urban Cookhouse held the market on Wednesday evenings along Vine Street from early June to early August. This year the restaurant is under new management and ownership, and the Vine Street location is no longer available due to Piggly Wiggly construction.

Urban Cookhouse had submitted an application to hold the market Friday evenings from 4-8 p.m. from July 3-Aug. 7 in front of City Hall in Crestline, and it was under consideration at the June 8 city council pre-meeting.

At the meeting, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce President Suzan Doidge said the business community is not in favor of the location in front of City Hall because it would block off parking that merchants use during the day on Friday. The Police Department representatives said they were also opposed to the location because of concerns about site distance exiting from the side streets onto Church Street.

Doidge suggested the market by the library but said that the police have not looked into that site, and she said that Urban Cookhouse wants to hold it in Crestline and not another village because of the restaurant’s location. The council also recommended looking at Dan Watkins Drive and the “upper lot” on Elm Street by Crestline Elementary as potential locations, and Council Member Lloyd Shelton suggested holding the market on Sunday afternoons when business traffic is not an issue.

If the market location is approved, a variety of local growers and vendors would set up under tents. No vendors would have goods that compete with Crestline merchants. Julie Howell, who owns Lamb’s Ears, would head up an oversight committee to approve market vendors to ensure none are competing.

The market would also feature kids activities such as corn hole and face painting, cooking demonstrations by Crestline restaurants and a Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce booth that allows retailers to represent their businesses.

No representative from Urban Cookhouse was present during the discussion regarding the market location.