Saturday market awaits.

• Author: Grenn, Ben
• Position: Farmers' markets

The corner of 3rd Avenue and E Street in Anchorage has slowly been transformed from an empty parking lot to a collection of talented vendors offering hand-crafted Alaskan gifts, fresh Alaskan produce, live music, entertainment and a lot of family fun. At this great Alaskan garage sale, children's faces glow at the sight of a clown or juggler, while mom and dad search among vendors for the perfect bag of locally-grown potatoes, fresh peas or a sled for ominous winter.

It began as a swap meet-old junk cars and yard sale items. Now it is known for its fresh produce and as the home of "something for everyone."

It is the Saturday Market in downtown Anchorage, open one day each week from May to early September. Saturday Market's unofficial origins began in 1991 when the Anchorage Parking Authority opened a vacant lot to vendors to see what would happen. In those days, there were four rows of offerings: two featuring fresh Alaskan produce, and two filled with garage-sale items and used vehicles.

From its official beginnings in 1993, the Market's goals were relatively simple: to provide a family oriented atmosphere in a conveniently located arena where residents and tourists could enjoy Alaska's summer. An unusual early spring breakup this year meant the market opened earlier than usual on May 16. It closes Sept. 5.

"This thing has really grown," says Javier Robinson, the Saturday Market manager. "It's not just an outdoor garage sale." In the six-year history of the market, what started with a handful of vendors has now mushroomed to upwards of 325 vendors during any given Saturday. We also have several special events during the summer such as Kids' Day, Alaska Artist's Day, Gold Rush Day and Health and Fitness Day."

"I've never missed one yet," adds River Bean of Arctic Organics of Palmer. "My wife, Sarah, and I have been coming in from the Valley with our fresh vegetables, apple trees and...