Salt Lake City Downtown Farmers Market kicks off summer season

SALT LAKE CITY — When the music starts, the stands go up and the crowds begin to gather, it’s a sure sign the Salt Lake City Downtown Farmers Market is back.

“I feel like the first opening week of the farmers market is like, summer is here! Right?” said Carly Gillespie, director of the Downtown Farmers Market.

The market at Pioneer Park is a Salt Lake City tradition. It brings together roughly 300 vendors, live music and food trucks every Saturday through October.

But among the produce and handmade goods this year, one unique treat is getting a lot of attention: It’s called honey slush.

“We have five flavors,” Ellie Magleby said to a customer.

Magleby is one of the owners of Beehive Freeze Honey Slush. It’s a new vendor at the market this season.

She and her partner, Branden Bryers, first discovered the product while living in Hawaii.

“So, honey slush is a sorbet, that’s how we describe it. It is made with raw local honey and fruit,” Magleby said.

They worked for five years at a café on Oahu that invented the dessert as a healthier alternative to shaved ice.

“We sold it for them for about five years at their farmers markets. And then we came here and they said, ‘Okay, if you want to take it there to Utah, then go for it.’ So we did,” Bryers said.

Now, back in Magleby’s home state, they’re introducing Utahns to the refreshing treat with flavors like pina colada, strawberry and passion fruit. They also rotate a different flavor into their mix every week.

They have been to other farmers markets across Utah last year, but wanted to give the Salt Lake City Downtown Market a try this year.

“I mean, I think it’s the biggest market in Utah,” Magleby said.

It didn’t take long for their booth to become one of the most popular.

In fact, they sold out before the market even ended.

“Oh, it’s amazing. It’s so refreshing,” said Nicole Terzi, a Salt Lake City resident who tried the product for the first time.

“Especially with this heat, it was amazing and then you get that honey, for the Beehive State, right? It was amazing,” added Sadie Clark, another local.

Next time, Magleby and Bryers plan to be even more ready.

“Yes. Definitely. We’re going to bring probably a couple more coolers,” Bryers said.

“Well, we sold out an hour and a half early so we better bring more next week,” said Magleby with a laugh.

The Downtown Farmers Market isn’t just a place to spend a Saturday morning, it is where many now-familiar Utah food brands got their start, including Bruges Waffles and Rico Brands Mexican Food.

There’s even talk of expanding the market into a year-round event, with a permanent building at Pioneer Park to house vendors during the colder months.

Until then, vendors like Beehive Freeze will be there every weekend… If they don’t sell out first.