FARMINGTON — A new market aims to expand the number of opportunities through which hobby gardeners, artists and crafters can sell their products.

The Makers Market will start on Tuesday, July 19 downtown and will run for 15 weeks.

Michael Bulloch, the downtown coordinator for the Farmington Downtown Association, said various factors influenced the downtown association's decision to start a market.

"Part of it was just looking for another reason to bring people downtown and to get them maybe thinking about downtown as a destination," he said.

Bulloch sees the market as being a mix of arts and crafts, and food products and, with live music serving as an attraction, he hopes the weekly events will bring a festive air to downtown.

While the markets will be held on Tuesdays at the same time as one of the two weekly Farmington Growers Markets, Bulloch said he does not see them as competing against each other. He said the Makers Market likely will draw a different group of vendors, such as smaller hobby gardeners, as well as artisans.

Mark Bozik, the Farmington Growers Market manager, also suspects that the new market may draw a different selection of vendors.

"If it's a makers market, it may end up being more arts and crafts," he said.

The growers market opened for the season in June and has drawn a crowd to the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park every week. The first week, seven vendors participated, and 251 people visited, Bozik said.

Saturday's market saw the highest number of vendors all season — 12. By 10:30 a.m., about 650 people already had visited the market.

Bozik said the market will continue to grow, and during the harvest season of August and September, there will likely be 20 or more vendors each week at the Saturday markets.

While the growers markets focus on agriculture products, one art vendor was permitted to sell his work at the market on Saturday. Doug Miller sold prints of his paintings, as well as gourd ornaments. He said he likely will be back for future markets.

Selling as a vendor helps Miller keep his prices lower than what galleries typically charge, and he said situations like these give him the opportunity to interact with customers and tell them about his artwork.

"I think that makes it more special for the customer," Miller said.

Hannah Grover covers Aztec and Bloomfield, as well as general news, for The Daily Times. She can be reached at 505-564-4652.

If you go

What: Makers Market

When: 4 p.m. Tuesdays starting July 19

Where: Orchard Park at the corner of Orchard Avenue and Main Street in downtown Farmington

More information: fmtn.org/downtown

What: Farmington Growers Market

When: 8 a.m. Saturdays and 4 p.m. Tuesdays

Where: Farmington Museum at Gateway Park, 3041 E. Main St.

More information: farmingtongrowersmarket.com