For more than 20 years, Tuesday evenings in downtown DeWitt have meant the same routine. The 100 block of North Bridge Street closes to cars, vendor tents fill the pavement, and anyone heading to a downtown shop or restaurant circles the block looking for parking. It's been part of the rhythm of summer here for a long time.

This fall is the last season it works that way. The Downtown DeWitt Farmers Market is getting its first permanent home, and starting in 2027, Tuesday market nights will look very different.

When Is the Last DeWitt Farmers Market on Bridge Street?

The final market of the 2026 season is Tuesday, October 6, from 4 to 7 p.m. It's also the last market ever held on Bridge Street.

If you've been meaning to stop by this year, this is your chance. The 2026 season opened June 2 and has run every Tuesday since, with one week off in August. Next year, you'll find the market a half block away at its new location.

What You'll Find at the Market

The market draws about 35 to 40 vendors each week, with fresh produce, locally farmed meats, eggs, baked goods, flowers, and locally made foods. This season's vendor lineup includes names many regulars will recognize:

• Produce: Berry Up Blueberries, Faivor Fresh Produce, Snappy Veggies, and Wesenberg Produce
• Cheese: The Cheese People of Grand Rapids
• Plants and flowers: Cole's Flower Farm
• Meat: Circle F Meats & Mercantile

Early October is a good time to stock up, since the season's last produce and fall items are on the tables before the market closes for the winter.

Where Is the New DeWitt Farmers Market?

The new market is at 119 W. Jefferson Street, at the corner of Jefferson and Scott, just a half block from North Bridge Street. That keeps it in the heart of downtown, close to the same shops and restaurants that market visitors already walk to.

The City of DeWitt, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP), and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) broke ground on the site on July 13, 2026. Construction is expected to be finished by December 2026, in time for the 2027 season.

The site has its own story. It was a blighted parcel, home to an excavating company since the 1970s. When it's done, it will be the first public gathering space in downtown DeWitt since 1896, when the original Central Town Square was built just one block east.

What the New Market Will Have

The new site is designed to fix the problems that come with holding a market in the street. Plans include:

• A covered market structure, so vendors aren't working out of tents exposed to the weather
• Public restrooms, something the street setup never had
• Storage on site, so vendors don't have to haul everything in and out each week
• A pavilion surrounded by green space
• A parking lot, where food trucks and larger vendors can set up on market days

In its report, the Lansing Economic Area Partnership (LEAP) quoted Mayor Susan Leeming:

"This space is exactly what our downtown has been missing."

Why DeWitt Built a Permanent Market

The market is one of the three largest farmers markets in the region, drawing about 600 visitors every week. That's a lot of people for a space that was never built to hold them.

Holding the market in the street meant closing the 100 block of North Bridge Street every Tuesday. That affected roughly thirteen businesses each week and removed on-street parking for the evening. Vendors also had to set up and tear down tents each week, at the mercy of Michigan weather.

The new site solves all of that. Once the market moves, Bridge Street shouldn't need to close on market nights, and downtown businesses get their street and parking back.

More Than a Tuesday Night Market

The new site won't sit empty the rest of the week. On days when there's no market, the parking lot will serve visitors to downtown shops, restaurants, and events. The city also plans to hold special events at the site outside of market days.

The City of DeWitt's Department of Public Services will operate and maintain the site. The same department already takes care of nine city parks and the community space at City Hall.

How the Project Is Funded

The project costs $1.8 million in total. LEAP's Community Enhancement Grant, administered in partnership with MEDC, provided $500,000 through the state's Revitalization and Placemaking program. The City of DeWitt is covering the remaining $1.3 million.

That means the city is putting in about $2.60 for every state dollar, a real commitment for a city of DeWitt's size. The LEAP report quoted Bob Trezise, president and CEO of LEAP, describing the project this way:

"A permanent home for one of the region's great farmers markets and a beautiful public space where people want to gather."

What This Means for Downtown DeWitt

For regular market shoppers, the changes are practical: easier parking, restrooms, and a covered space that works in any weather. For downtown businesses, it means no more weekly street closures.

The bigger picture is a city investing in a permanent gathering place in the middle of its downtown. Instead of borrowing a street for three hours a week, DeWitt is building a space designed for the market and for the community events that will follow.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the DeWitt Farmers Market?

The market runs Tuesdays from 4 to 7 p.m., June through early October. The 2026 season ends October 6.

Where will the DeWitt Farmers Market be in 2027?

At its new permanent home at 119 W. Jefferson Street, at the corner of Jefferson and Scott in downtown DeWitt.

Will the new market have parking?

Yes. The site includes its own parking lot, which will also serve downtown visitors on non-market days.

Who runs the DeWitt Farmers Market?

The market is sponsored and operated by the DeWitt Downtown Development Authority (DDA), with support from the City of DeWitt.

How can I become a vendor or volunteer?

Vendor applications and volunteer information are on the DeWitt DDA's farmers market page.