Milwaukee Public Market

"Now this is what a Saturday is supposed to be."

This is what I said to Dave yesterday as we perused the stands at the Milwaukee Public Market. After much waiting and anticipation, the market finally had its grand opening yesterday, and from the looks of the crowds it drew, it's going to be a huge success.

We got off the freeway early yesterday afternoon and the streets surrounding the market were jam-packed with cars whose drivers were trying unsuccessfully to find parking. We drove around for awhile and finally just paid $4 to park in a lot across the street.

We walked through the doors of the market and quickly saw that it was going to take awhile to get through the place. Hundreds of people were inching their way past stand after stand, eyeballing the freshly baked cookies and bread, sampling cheeses and tortilla chips, enjoying the aromas of roasting coffee, bunches of wild flowers, and fresh fish, and touching the ripe fruits and vegetables.

The people handing out samples couldn't keep up with demand, and several stands, including a soup stand and a bread stand, were completely sold out of their products. Dave and I made our way through the place, bought a giant chocolate chip cookie and a few apples, and then we went upstairs to get a better view. There were a couple dozen small tables with chairs where people could eat, relax, and escape the crowds. A cooking demonstration was going on and Aurora Healthcare had a stand up there, and that was about it for the second level.

The Milwaukee Public Market is going to be a great asset to the city. It will be nice to go back on a day when one can actually browse and move around freely, but I'm glad, too, that I got to be there on the day it made its big debut.

Comments

[Karen]

Thanks for the pics. We opted to stay away due to first day crowds, but I look forward to going there soon!

[Christi]

how exciting. I LOVE markets. Reminds me of London. It's about time Milwaukee jumped on the fresh produce/product bandwagon!!!

Thanks for the info. doll.

SEE YOU THIS WEEKEND!!!!

Who's driving PS? I will, just because I love to drive so much but if you would prefer to that is fine too. Whatev!

[mzn]

Hey there,
I was at the market on opening day too and it was crazy crowded. I returned yesterday and the crowds were more manageable, but still mostly people checking out what it's like rather than shopping. I was psyched to see an El Rey (Mexican grocery) downtown, though their produce doesn't look local. And some stands have yet to open. But I share your enthusiasm. Hope you return to let us know what you think once it's no longer a novelty.

[Charlie]

Been to the market a couple of times... frankly I was disappointed. It was very nice but I expected it to be larger and have more vendors.