If you haven’t discovered the return of the Bridgman Open-Air Market every Sunday, it’s time to make the trek to the waterfront community to check things out for yourself. When you do, you can thank Nick Schmidt, Juan Ganum and others for making the return of the market a reality. 
Schmidt was the one who took the idea to the City of Bridgman last year in a bid to bring back the farmers market. Now anchored in a new location and designed to help local small businesses and growers showcase their goods, the market takes place every Sunday from 9am until 3pm at the corner of Lake Street and Red Arrow Highway in the parking lot of Edgewater Bank. Bridgman City Manager Juan Ganum and the Bridgman City Commission provided support for the return of the farmers market and this year the vendors have grown the venture in a full parking lot.
Each week vendors set up shop in pop up tents to the sounds of live music being performed on site where they proceed to sell a whole host of items ranging from locally grown fresh produce including mushrooms, canned products like peppered jellies, baked goods including the likes of cookies, bagels, tarts and cinnamon rolls, alongside local artisan showcasing handmade products from soaps to hand-sewn face masks, bath bombs and earrings to dreamcatchers and tie-dyed clothing. You’ll find wooden wine racks, crocheted items, up-cycled items and a lot more.
You can follow the action online through the Bridgman Open Air Market Facebook fan page as well as some of the vendor’s Facebook postings.
Some of the vendors, according to participant Jennifer Heimbuch include:
- R&D Mushrooms
- Jumpindillybean
- River Bend Outpost
- Jens Gallery and Gifts
- Baroda Triangle
- Loose Feather Eggery
- Wild island Vegan Gelato
The Bridgman Open Air Market is an easy stop off for those venturing through the beach towns from St. Joseph to Harbor Country, and close to the waterfront.
