DANA POINT : Farmers Market to Be in Plaza Wednesday

The country is coming to Dana Point Plaza, starting Wednesday.

Rain or shine, the downtown shopping center will be the site of the city’s first Farmers Market, which will be a weekly event taking place on Wednesdays from 3 to 7 p.m.

Local farmers will sell a variety of produce, cut flowers, dried fruits and nuts, honey and eggs. The Dana Point Plaza is on Pacific Coast Highway near Street of the Golden Lantern.

“It’s going to be fantastic for the people of Dana Point,” said Jan Peverill, spokeswoman for market operators Rick and Sandy Heil. “Everyone is certified by the county, so they grow their own products and don’t buy from middlemen.”

Peverill will bring to Dana Point several vendors who sell in the San Clemente Farmers Market, which is run by Peverill and her husband.

“We have our jam lady coming, people who sell wonderful, fresh bread, and our pasta lady who sells all kinds of fresh pasta, lemon, garlic, basil and red pepper,” she said.

Other goods to be sold at the Dana Point market include fresh fish and pies, which are sold by a man who grows his own berries, Peverill said.

City planners approved the market last month, saying it would be good for local businesses and promote a sense of community.

Peverill said that holding the market in the middle of the week won’t affect business, pointing to several other successful farmers markets held in other cities during the week.

“Our only concern is if it rains on Wednesday,” she said. “That definitely affects the turnout. But we’ll be open whether it rains or not.”

For more information, call (714) 248-3570.