Ballard Farmers Market during a pandemic: here’s how it works

The Ballard Farmers Market will reopen this weekend, but it won’t be your typical market: they’ve made some changes to the layout and are including several restrictions to make it safe for shoppers and to align with Public Health pandemic requirements.

We first reported on the reopening earlier this week, to quite a divided reaction from readers. Many were celebrating how the reopening would benefit local farmers, but others voiced major concerns over the potential for virus transmission.

So, we contacted Kelly Kube from the Seattle Farmers Market Association (SFMA) to learn more about what we should expect at the new Ballard Farmers Market.

The new style of market will be a combination of drive-thru and walk-up. The number of vendors will be cut way back; just 28 of the usual 110 vendors will be set up along the east side of Ballard Ave, with each booth serving both walk-up customers and drivers. Kube says the vendors’ trucks will be parked between each booth to help space them out along Ballard Ave.

The vendors will be those who sell essential goods only; just produce, meat, and cheese stands are allowed (no crafts).

Pedestrian shoppers will use the sidewalk, and a clearly marked drive-thru lane will allow vehicles to drive up to each booth. Drivers will be required to stay in their vehicles.

Each booth will have clearly visible signs to show what’s available (one for drivers, one for walk-ups), and when the customer chooses, the items will be placed on a tables—one at the front for walk-ups, and one at the back for drivers. Vendors will be wearing masks and gloves, and will have hand-washing stations so they can wash up between customers.

Pre-ordering online is encouraged, as is contactless payments via Venmo or ApplePay; if cash must be used, they ask that customers round up to avoid requiring vendors to make change.

Around a dozen SFMA staff will be on hand monitoring the drive-thru and pedestrian gates, which will be set up at the intersection of 22nd Ave NW and Ballard Ave. The drive-thru will run the length of the market, exiting at 20th Ave NW (one block further than the normal market).

They’ll be operating much the same as grocery stores in terms of limiting occupancy; they’ll permit 28 cars at one time (vehicle queuing will happen on 22nd Ave NW), and 84 walking customers, Kube tells My Ballard. A maximum of three walk-up customers will be allowed at one time at each booth.

There will be no crafts, buskers, or entertainers, and customers will be asked to spend 10 minutes or less in the market. Dogs are not allowed, and Kube says it’s best if just one person from a household attends.

“The main thing we want to drive home is that we are operating as an outdoor grocery store. It’s drastically different from usual,” Kube says.

Much the same as grocery stores, staff will set up markers for lines, keeping customers six feet apart at all times. There will be toilets and hand-washing stations set up for customers to use, in addition to the stations at each booth for vendors.

Vendors will not be permitted to hand out samples, and Kube says they’re encouraging farmers to bundle goods to make for quicker checkouts. And, SFMA staff will be closely monitoring all operations, checking each booth every 30 minutes. Seattle King County Public Health staff will also be at the market to observe the new operations.

“Every week we are reporting to Public Health to tell them how operations went, and see if there are any modifications or upgrades needed,” Kube says, adding that their current rules and regulations make the farmers market, “more strict than grocery stores.”

“We want to get farmers back in business,” Kube says, “but we needed to scale back operations.”

The hours will be the same as the usual market, from 10am to 3pm. The SFMA is working on upgrading their pre-ordering to make it easier; check their website for updates.