More than 40 people crowded into the Polson City Commission chambers and adjacent hallway earlier this month, most there to support keeping the Polson Farmers Market at its downtown location, even though the matter wasn’t on the agenda.

A steady stream of people took turns at the microphone during the public comment portion of the meeting to emphasize their support for the farmers market and its location on the first block of Third Avenue West. While there’s no formal move to relocate the market, the matter has come up at recent meetings.

The market was initially moved to Riverside Park this spring due to road reconstruction on First Street West, and before it moved back to its current spot, commissioners had discussed other possible locations, including Salish Point.

Neither vendors nor shoppers at Monday’s meeting appeared to favor a move. Joe Arnold, who owns Flathead Lake Cheese with his wife, Wendi, said he’s had plenty of experiences at “crappy farmers markets.”

“Polson is not one of them. You have a jewel here,” he said, and one that would be hard to replicate. 

“This is a golden goose. Don't kill it," Arnold added.

Others spoke about how hard it can be for a market to regain traction once it changes location. One vendor from Missoula said she’s had firsthand experience with a market that struggled to recover after relocating.

She predicted that if the Polson market moves, “the people who show up week after week, year after year to help participate in making this the jewel it is, they will be financially hurt hard for a long time.”

For Hillary Lozar, a lifelong Polson resident, the market has “a very symbiotic relationship” with the Main Street business community – a sentiment echoed by Tali Barron, owner of Two Nineteen Main. She praised the “huge trickle-down effect” of downtown events, and encouraged market managers and the city to consider expanding it to the block of Third Avenue East in front of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Natural Resources Department.

LuAnne Hoskinson, president of the Polson Farmers Market, gave a brief history, noting that the market was originally located in the parking lot of the Masonic Lodge, where parking “was horrendous.” Some local businesspeople “pleaded” with them to move downtown.

Hoskinson said the market has since grown from 20 to 50 vendors, and cited the market’s visibility, paved surface (as opposed to grass or gravel) and longevity as pluses.

“It's hard to get something good established,” she said. “And what we have here in Polson is good.”

The only person who mentioned moving the market was David Sherick, who sits on the board of the Polson Flathead Lake Museum. He noted that if a move became necessary, the museum could offer the market a new home at 708 Main St. with ample parking, a large outdoor space and indoor bathrooms.

“I would encourage the people who actually are organizing the market and the city to take a look at us,” he said.