The 29th year of the Estes Park Farmers Market kicked off Thursday morning under a bright blue sky on the east side of the Estes Park Visitor’s Center. The event is held every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. through September 25 and features the goods of 40 vendors.

The first market began on July 11, 1996, and was funded by the Estes Park Newcomers Club. It was initially known as the Estes-Big Thompson Valley Farmers Market. 

To help manage the traffic, the Rotary Club of Estes Park stepped up to provide volunteers to direct motorists where they could and could not park.

Visitors to the market can find heirloom tomatoes, specialty teas, French pastries, jams, jellies, honeys, fresh and dried mushrooms, spices, European cheeses, candles and wax melts, hats, woven baskets, candies, pickles, homemade quiches and salsas, smoked salmon and latkes, coffee, pet treats and jewelry.

The Estes Valley Fire Protection District had an information booth about fire mitigation and community risk reduction efforts.

One of this year’s newest vendors is Rocky Mountain Mugolio, a syrup made in Estes Park from pinecones sourced in and around the Roosevelt National Forest. The syrup can be used as a substitute for maple syrup on pancakes or as a flavoring in candy or cocktails.

Adams Chocolate Factory’s Boozy Nuts is another unique vendor this year. Using bourbon, rum, vodka, and whiskey, their liquor-infused gourmet pecans and almonds come in several flavors, including bourbon praline, chili lime, cinnafire, Christmas spice, and limoncello.

Most of the vendors are from Estes Park, like Snowy Peaks Winery, or along the Front Range, like In a Pickel out of Loveland, and some have been part of the Farmer’s Market since the beginning. One vendor, Redemption Road Coffee, is based in Mead, Colo., and uses its company’s profits to support different charities. It has also worked with an NGO in Greece to help find employment opportunities for refugees.

Every week, the market holds two drawings, one at 9:30 and 11:30, for $25 worth of goodies from two selected vendors. For information about the market, email the manager Vicki Dennis.