Fan-fave farmers market blooms again in downtown Portland
Published 12:18 pm Wednesday, May 7, 2025
The Wednesday market runs now through Oct. 29 on the South Park Blocks at Main Street. Staff Photo: Dana Haynes
Marzena Baran prepares a kielbasa sandwich at Taste of Old Poland on Wednesday, May 7. Staff Photo: Dana Haynes
Organics foods and the last of genetically modified organisms are a big part of Portland's many farmers markets. Staff Photo: Dana Haynes
Hearty spring greens dominate at fan-favorite Sunrise Organic Farm, from Albany, Oregon, at the Shemanski Park farmers market. Staff Photo: Dana Haynes
All hail the kale.
The popular once-per-week farmers market at Shemanski Park, Southwest Park Blocks at Main Street, reopened Wednesday, May 7. Celebrating, as always, Oregon farms and locally sourced lunchtime favorites.
“We are back!” declared Dion Baran of the Taste of Old Poland stand, while his wife, Marzena, prepared a homemade kielbasa sandwich.
Baran has been running the food stand since 1992, first at Portland’s Saturday Market, and now at the PSU, Shemanski and King farmers markets.
“I move to Los Angeles in 1986,” Baran said. “On the vacation to Oregon, I am thinking: So beautiful! You know? OK. Is time to move to Portland.”
And he’s been bringing the taste of his homeland to Portlanders, one potato pierogi at a time, ever since.
Stephanie Celin, communications and marketing manager for Portland Farmers Market, said the Shemanski Park event opens with about 20 vendors each May, but that will rise closer to 30 vendors by summer.
“It’s food-and-farm at all of our markets,” she said. “Also regionally sourced food to eat.”
The markets began in 1998, making this the 27th year of good eats.
Gathering Together Farm, which will return to Shemanski in the coming weeks, is the longest extant vendor, having been with the Portland nonprofit from the start. “They’ve been with us since Day 1,” Celin said.
The Shemanski Park — behind the Schnitz auditorium — is one of five run every year by the nonprofit Portland Farmers Market, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., now through Oct. 29.
The Saturday market at Portland State University runs year-’round from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., except for a short stint in November and the Saturday after Christmas.
Others are:
• King Neighborhood, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, May 4 to Nov. 23, at Northeast Seventh Avenue and Wygant.
• Lents International, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundays, June 1 to Nov. 23, at Southeast 92nd Avenue and Reedway (it returns on Dec. 14, as well).
• Kenton Neighborhood, 3 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays, North McClellan and Denver streets.
(Editor’s note: The reporter had the kielbasa with sauerkraut and spicy mustard. Marzena Baran did not have to be told; she knew his “regular.”)
