Market Day to honor Brighton’s ag heritage

BRIGHTON — The city’s agricultural heritage will be celebrated during the fourth annual Market Day.
    The event will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Brighton Cultural Center, 300 Strong St., and is free and open to the public.
    Downtown Initiatives/Special Events Coordinator Gary Montoya said the event focuses on local agriculture and healthy eating.
    “Market Day is an event dedicated to the celebration of our local agriculture growers, which we do have several that are very prominent, not only in the state, not only nation wide but locally,” he said.
    This year’s Market Day will include produce available for purchase, interactive activities, children’s activities, live entertainment, food, local artists as well as free kids activities provided by Anythink Library.
    Montoya said he anticipates a wide variety of vendors, upwards of 40. He said the Brighton Youth Commission will also be on site to help educate the community on recycling.
    He said few additions have been added to the Market Day lineup this year.
    According to Montoya, the downtown business district will be providing an open house event and groups will be led from the Market Day site to the downtown district for a number of special surprises, promotions and giveaways.
    “There are several businesses downtown which much of the community is not aware, and we’d like to take the opportunity to educate those who are not familiar with what’s been happening downtown,” he said.
    A farmer’s market bicycle tour will be held from 1 to 4 p.m., with bikers stopping at each location for about 25 minutes. Montoya said anyone interested in participating in the event can register at the event or starting at 12:30 p.m. at the King Soopers shopping center where the tour will begin.
    A square dance demonstration lead by Scuffed Shoes will also be held from 12 to 1 p.m.
Market Day was originally organized by Brighton founder Daniel Carmichael and was first held in the later part of the 19th century as a piece of the Adams County Fair, according to a press release from the city. The original Adams County Fair Grounds were located at Fourth Avenue and Southern Street where it was transformed into a marketplace for the community to purchase goods, produce and livestock.
    The 2012 Market Day is sponsored by the city of Brighton, Downtown Brighton, Anythink Library, the Armory at Brighton Cultural Center, Brighton Cultural Arts Commission, Brighton Urban Renewal Authority and Scientific and Cultural Facilities District.