Discover Vintage America — February 2012
Even in winter, KC’s City Market warms the soul
My wife and I consider the City Market in Kansas City our “second neighborhood.” On many Saturday mornings, we take the Heart of America Bridge from our home in North Kansas City, cross the Missouri River to the market, and spend a couple of hours shopping and “people watching.” In the City Market Coffee House we sip coffee, munch on a scone, and catch up on the latest gossip in one of the weekly tabloids.
Outside, a large green area serves as the local exercise yard for dog lovers, many from nearby loft apartments. We usually spot a dog or two worth our notice, especially the young Malamute that stared at us recently with beautiful blue eyes as we tapped on the window to get his attention. No dogs (other than service animals) are allowed inside the market.
During the growing and harvest seasons, local growers bring in produce, as others have since the market began in 1857. According to market officials, more than 140 vendors keep things humming, and some 630,000 annual visitors make the market one of the city’s most popular visitor attractions.
From March through October the market bustles with activity from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. From November through February the emphasis changes from garden produce to baked goods and non-food items. Saturdays begin at 9 a.m. in the winter; other hours are the same. Shops and restaurants in the market are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A year-round yard sale attracts visitors on Fridays and Sundays.
An advantage of visiting the market in the winter months (other than the smaller crowds) is parking. Summer visitors park in lots within a block or two of the market, and arrive early for the best spots. During the winter, car parking is allowed inside the market square.
While winter crowds are smaller, the market is still busy. Permanent shops sell everything from spices and exotic gifts to flowers and interior decor. The market also is a great place to sample international cuisine, with Chinese, East Indian, Ethiopian, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican and Vietnamese food available, along with old-fashioned American barbecue. Outdoor food vendors offer a variety of food on weekends. Even during winter months, it’s usually possible to buy a burger or brat, or an East Indian potato pie.
Before we leave the market, we often visit Dutch Flowers, located on the southeast corner of the market square. Growing plants, cut flowers, and related garden accessories fill the interior of the shop and spill out onto a patio-like area outside.
Owner Els VanderMeij, who opened the shop six years ago, is usually on hand to greet us. Els is a floral designer from Amsterdam, where her family operates a large garden center.
“I try to sell unique products,” she says. “Most of my plants, such as jasmine, passion flower, and staghorn fern, come from Florida. Everything else is designed and imported from Holland.”
Els adds that flowers picked in Holland on Monday are in her shop on Tuesday.
The Rotunda at the market’s south end provides a “rest stop” with benches and adjacent restrooms. On the walls are photo exhibits that include a timeline of City Market history and a number of old photos. Along with views of the original market with horse-drawn wagons bringing in produce in the mid-1800s, visitors will learn about Annie Chambers, the notorious madam who was one of the area’s most interesting characters in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Her “bawdy house” at 3rd and Wyandotte was considered the finest and most elegant in the area. In her later years, she became a Christian and bequeathed her estate to the City Union Mission.
One of the most interesting museums in the Midwest occupies a prominent site on the east side of the market. The Steamboat Arabia Museum originated in the winter of 1988, when the sunken wreck of the side-wheeler Arabia was excavated from a Kansas cornfield by the Hawley family and their associates. The packet boat had rested there since its sinking in 1856, and the river had changed course.
Tons of building supplies, household furnishings, clothing, tools, and sundries that had been on their way to settlers in the Nebraska Territory were recovered, and are on exhibit in the museum, along with parts of the boat. A gift shop and a large food court are on the upper level of the building; museum exhibits are located on the lower level. A restored paddle wheel revolves in water, giving food court visitors a hint of the surprises below.
Paige Powers, the City Market’s marketing and events manager, says although the street musicians are less numerous in the winter, “you can usually find them in the heated corners on weekends.”
“Winter events begin on Valentine’s Day with ‘Tie the Knot’ wedding ceremonies every 15 minutes in the enclosed (and heated) First Pavilion,” she adds. Cake, flowers and clergy are provided. The event, which has become a tradition at the market, is scheduled from noon to 3 p.m.
She says that a recycling event, “Get Your Green On,” is set for April 14-15. It kicks off the Community Yard Sale, which continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the warmer months.
For more details, visit www.thecitymarket.org.
Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com
