The second annual Third Thursday market in Cortez will start June 15 in a new location.
A partnership between the city government and the Cortez Retail Enhancement Association, the event started in 2016 on Main Street. Local vendors were invited to sell their wares on every third Thursday of the month from June through October, and visitors could also listen to live music and participate in a family-friendly activities.
This year, the market will move to Montezuma Park on the corner of North Market Street and Montezuma Avenue.
Organizer Mark Drudge, of CREA, said he sees the market as a good way to bring more business to downtown Cortez, among other things.
“It’s about community,” he said. “It’s just a fun place to be.”
He said the organizers decided on Montezuma Park as the setting because it has restrooms, more shade and better wind protection than the Main Street location.
Last year, Drudge said, 12 to 15 vendors signed up for the market, and he expects a similar number this time around.
The event will also feature bands from all over the Southwest.
The first musician, signed up for June 15, will be Moab-based bluegrass singer Sand Sheff.
Activities for kids, like face painting and outdoor games, will be offered each month.
But the location isn’t the only new thing about the market this year. According to an April news release, there will be more produce vendors this year, despite competition from the Cortez Farmers Market.
Each “third Thursday” will offer something special, including free ice cream, a corn hole tournament and photo opportunities with the U.S. Honor Flag, a traveling flag designed to honor veterans and fallen soldiers.
This year, organizers have also designed a “Cortez Third Thursday” ballcap, which will be handed out during various events throughout the summer.
There is no deadline for vendors to sign up, but each booth costs $10 per event, or $30 for the whole summer.
Vendors will also have to supply their own tables this year.
