Downtown Hartford Market continues to grow as 4th season begins

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Thursday kicks off the 4th year of the annual Downtown Hartford Market.

“It has grown every single year, we have more vendors than ever, we have two food trucks instead of one and we just keep ending up having more and more kid’s activities,” Downtown Hartford Inc. President Callie Tuschen said.

The market has only been around for a short time, but it has already made a major impact on community members like Dustin Garness.

“There was one market where my wife and I were wondering if we could make a set of Kubb and then we were wondering if anyone would be interested in purchasing one of them. So we got a table in the market and the next week I made sets of Kubb, Dice, Jenga, and cornhole, and people liked them so we’ve just gone from there,” Garness Games Owner Dustin Garness said.

Garness Games has grown a lot since that first week at the market as its now added several more products and even rents out some of the yard games for events.

“The fact that this is here is the only reason we have our business right now. If it wasn’t for this market we would never have become entrepreneurs,” Garness said.

The Garness family isn’t the only one to start their business by selling items at the market. Nick Andrajack is looking to make the first sales from his family’s farm at this year’s market.

“I always like to say we have a small farm with big dreams. This is our first time selling produce at a market so a lot of work has gone in and a lot of planning and it’s all coming down to tonight. So, we’re looking forward to seeing everybody and selling our produce,” Ajack Acres Owner Nick Andrajack said.

The Downtown Hartford Market is held on Main Avenue from 5 to 8:30 p.m. every first Thursday of the month.

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