DOWAGIAC — Early Wednesday morning, vendors, under the shade of white tents, set up in the parking lot of the Dowagiac Area History Museum to kick off one of Dowagiac’s longest running summer traditions.

The Dowagiac Farm and Artisan Market opened Wednesday for its 2018 season. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays in front of the Dowagiac Area History Museum on the corner of Railroad and Division Streets. The market will continue until the second Saturday in October.

With the 2018 season underway, the vendors who were there for the first day said they were hopeful that the summer would be one of growth for the market.

“Every year here is good,” said Angelica Gonzalez, of Benton Harbor. “But I hope this year is better than ever.”

Gonzalez was selling a number of fresh farm products including jams, onions and tomatoes, which her brother grew in Benton Harbor. She said she makes the drive to Dowagiac to sell at the farm and artisan market as often as she can.

“This is a good, smaller farm market. There aren’t 15 or 20 farmers to compete with, and we do well here,” she said. “I think we will do well again this year. It is worth our while to be here.”

While the argiculture side of the farm and artisan market has high hopes for the 2018 season, so do the artisans, who said they hope to see more craft vendors this summer.

Suellen Gause, with Eye Love The View Photography, who said she has always enjoyed the farm and artisan market, has seen the market grow over the years and hopes to see it grow even more this year.

“I think we are going to have some new vendors this year. I think we are going to have some new crafters and makers,” she said. “I think we are going to get some more activity that way.”

Rosemarie Schar, of jewelry company Victorian Treasures, also said she hopes the 2018 season will be a good one for the artisan vendors.

“I’m hoping this is going to go quite well and be very profitable,” Schar said. “I like it here. The area is nice and the people are nice, so I’m excited for the summer.”

The vendors aren’t the only ones excited about the farm and artisan market’s 2018 season. Vickie Phillipson, with Dowagiac Downtown Development Authority, which is organizing the market, said she also hopes to see the market grow this summer.

“It’s always exciting to see the fresh fruit and produce as it comes in season,” she said. “The farm market is different every week. … It’s always exciting to see it grow and see new faces.”

She added that she hopes to see the public turn out to the market to enjoy the fresh produce and artisanal vendors.

“It’s just so fun and special,” Phillipson said of the market. “It really is something everyone can enjoy.”