Millcreek residents can enjoy a new seasonal market at Millcreek Common beginning Friday, Oct. 6. The Harvest Market, which runs from Oct. 6 until Nov. 3, is a way to bring the community together to celebrate the bounty of the harvest with a series of festive, local markets on Friday evenings, say organizers. Millcreek Common plaza is located at 1354 E. Chambers Ave., in between Highland Drive and 13th East on 33rd South.

The market will feature artisan goods, salsas, baked goods and fresh produce from local farms. In addition to vendors selling produce, crafts and treats, visitors can enjoy weekly market activities, live music, workshops, food trucks, pick-a-pumpkin and more.

The market will offer a series of rotating themes and activities each week. The event’s opening night on Oct. 6 will feature a petting zoo and a craft making edible Mr. Potato Heads. The Oct. 13 event will have pumpkin-themed games and crafts using gourds. On Oct. 27, Harvest Market will offer an activity making seasonal snacks, and on the final night, Nov. 3, the market will have free pie slices for the first 150 guests and a pie crust baking activity.

Roller skating at Millcreek Common will also be free from 4-5 p.m. every Friday in October. Finally, adults over 21 can enjoy locally-crafted beers and hard ciders from Second Summit Hard Cider Co., which opened in Millcreek over the summer. 

The festival is meant to honor and celebrate Millcreek’s agricultural history. When Mormon pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley in the mid-19th century, Millcreek was known as a mill town, meaning it was home to several lumber mills. Eventually, settlers began to divert Mill Creek itself to irrigate crops and the land began to produce fruit. 

One such group of settlers are known as Utah’s Black Pioneers. Local historians have uncovered stories of formerly enslaved pioneers who “settled permanently in the Salt Lake Valley in 1870 and became successful farmers.” 

Many of these pioneers arrived in downtown Salt Lake City but eventually moved to Millcreek where they purchased land and pursued farming. Over time, a collective of Black agriculturalists flourished, and the area they inhabited was called The Hill. 

The launch of the Harvest Market at Millcreek Common marks not only an exciting addition to the community but also a tribute to the city’s rich agricultural history. Through artisanal goods, local produce and weekly activities, residents can come together to celebrate not just the bounty of the harvest but the stories of those who, like Utah’s Black pioneers, cultivated their dreams here.  λ