The Brewery District in downtown Milwaukee is launching an annual farmers market this summer.
The market will take place Fridays, running June 10 through Oct. 28, in Preservation Park at 925 W. Juneau Ave. — beneath the historic neon Pabst sign. It will feature local farmers, artists, food trucks, live music and a beer garden, according to a news release.
The Brewery District is the site of the former Pabst Brewery complex, which was abandoned in 1996 when the legacy brewer shuttered its Milwaukee brewery, leaving behind the 21-acre downtown campus. Most of the site and its historic buildings have been redeveloped in recent years into nearly 800 new apartments, offices, restaurants, hotels, two public parks and the UW-Milwaukee Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health.
The farmers market is part of continued efforts by The Brewery District Neighborhood Improvement District #1 to drive traffic and business to the area.
“Now that the neighborhood is fully completed, we are excited to program outdoor spaces to bring the community together,” said Erin Stenum, manager of The Brewery District. “The Friday Farmers Market will be the perfect place to enjoy the beginning of the weekend, pick up some amazing local produce straight from the farm for the week, grab a beer from one of our neighborhood breweries Central Waters Brewing Company or Milwaukee Brewing Company, and enjoy the history of the neighborhood and all the great things to do here.”
Amherst-based Central Water Brewing Co. became the newest addition to the neighborhood last year, opening its second location at the former Captain Pabst Pilot House. The taproom features dozens of craft brews rotating on tap and serves food by Dairyland Old-Fashioned Frozen Custard & Hamburgers and its off-shoot Mid-Way Bakery.
Milwaukee Brewing Co. in 2018 moved its brewing operation and taproom into a 50,000-square foot former Pabst warehouse space, relocating from Walker’s Point.
The Brewery District Farmers Market is sponsored by Milwaukee-based Brilliant DPI and Interstate Parking, which will provide discounted parking validations for market purchases. The market’s hours of operation are 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
It’ll be one of the only summertime farmers markets that has set up shop west of the Milwaukee River downtown. Fondy Food Center ran its winter farmers market from October through early April at the Bucks’ downtown event venue Gather at Deer District. In past years, the event had taken place at Mitchell Park Domes’ Greenhouse Annex.
