SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Farmers Market of the Ozarks is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a massive back-to-school picnic this weekend, giving families a chance to wrap up the summer season and stock up on healthy local foods before classes begin.
The end-of-summer celebration takes place Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Farmers Park in Springfield. Organizers expect roughly 10,000 people to visit the market during the event, including an estimated 2,500 children. Market managers are setting out picnic blankets and pillows across the park so families can relax, eat, and spend time together.
“We wanted to mark it with kind of a big end of the summer shebang, and nothing says summer like picnics,” said Jesse Stone, manager of the Farmers Market of the Ozarks. “We’ve got the water, we’ve got a lot of space for a picnic, so families can come out and pick a spot.”…