STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

 The Wood River Farmers Market is launching its Hailey market on Thursday, July 9—one month after it launched its Ketchum market.

 The Hailey market will be in a new location at Roberta McKercher Park—a spot with plenty of elbow room. The market will be open from 2 to 6 p.m. every Thursday through Sept. 24.

 “After a delayed start we are excited to open in Hailey,” said Katie Zubia, board president of the Wood River Farmers Market Association. “The new location in Roberta McKercher Park will offer increased visibility and parking, as well as ample open space.”

 The Ketchum market, which launched June 9 in the lower River Run parking lot at the base of Bald Mountain, is continuing to grow, said Market Manager Sheila Plowman. Last week the Tuesday market had more than 600 walk-through shoppers—nearly twice as many as previous weeks.

 Online sales are also up 20 percent. The market started out with 85 to 95 online orders the first couple weeks.

 “The customers are really getting into the groove of the drive-up market and we appreciate it when repeat drive-thru customers bring their name signs, which helps us keep the line moving a little better,” Plowman added. 

 The Ketchum market has tightened up COVID safety precautions by reducing two entrances to one so it can ensure only 70 people are in the market at one time. Small orange cones help space customers six feet apart in lines once they’re in the market. 

 The Hailey market, like the Ketchum market, will follow all COVID-19 best practices. Those include wearing face coverings to minimize the spread of the virus, providing hand sanitizer stations, redesigning the market layout to allow for social distancing and promoting physical distancing.

 That said, the Hailey market will operate in a walk-thru format only. Customers can walk booth to booth to shop for seasonal fruits and vegetables, pastured meat, artisan baked goods, jewelry and crafts and  more.

 Online pre-ordering will continue to be available for the Ketchum market. To pre-order for the Ketchum market, go to www.wrfarmersmarket.org between 8 a.m. Friday and noon Sunday. Online orders can be picked up in the lower River Run parking lot in Ketchum between 5 and 6 p.m. Tuesdays.

 Walk-ins may shop between 2 and 4:45 p.m. at the Ketchum market

 The 2020 Wood River Farmers Market, founded in 2000, is sponsored by Valley Apothecary, a locally owned and operated pharmacy in the heart of Ketchum.