The Bridge Street Blog
East Waco is a fascinating and vibrant neighborhood located just across the iconic Suspension Bridge on the Brazos. The area is steeped in history and boasts a rich cultural heritage that has been preserved through the years. With its stunning architecture, diverse communities, and up and coming new businesses, East Waco is now becoming a must-visit destination for anyone looking to experience the best that Waco has to offer.
The most recent community development of the Bridge Street Plaza (200 E. Bridge St), two acres that include walking paths, green spaces, seating and areas for vendors, will now host Wednesday evening farmers markets. The Bridge Street Farmers Market will now host every Wednesday evening from 5-8pm, a secondary market to their existing Saturday morning market.
“While launching a new market at a new time in a new location has provided plenty of fun hurdles, I'm still excited to bring the community together with fresh food, evening entertainment, wellness programming - and at the same time introduce many Wacoans to a new gathering space in East Waco,” said Bethel Erickson, director of the market.
This weekly market has about 25 vendors each week: usually 3-5 food trucks, 4-5 produce (fruit, veggies, microgreens) vendors, plants, prepared foods and artisan food products (jams, baked goods, seasonings, etc), body care items, etc. Each week they also host different neighborhood based organizations to highlight the good work happening inside of East Waco and how community members can become more involved.
“I was one of the biggest people pushing for this.” said Jeanette Bell, as she sat under a bright orange tent representing (NERNA) The North East Riverside Neighborhood Association. This area she has called home for 30 years. “It’s good seeing everyone having fun together, eating, talking, laughing, and networking.” This fits with their organization's mission to create an ‘enjoyable, livable, walkable and sustainable neighborhood’— with a goal to improve neighbors' overall quality of life.
The Bridge Street Farmers Market has secured a lease at Bridge Street Plaza until the end of the year, and May 17th will be the official ribbon cutting with local chambers - happening at 5pm. They will also feature live music and rotating wellness activities such as yoga and hip hop step aerobics. The addition of live music and fitness classes makes it a great way to engage with the community and enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle. Whether you're looking to stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, learn new skills, or just have a fun night out, the East Waco farmers market is definitely worth checking out.
We are also excited to announce that we have partnered with Waco Business News! You can now go listen to Episode 150 of Downtown Depot with host Austin Meek -- and listen to his interview with Ollie Pettigrew! They discuss his history in the entertainment industry, his observations on life in Texas, and his impressions of Waco's creative community. Then we have the privilege to discuss the night markets in East Waco for this month's "Word on the Street"!
Downtown Depot is a partnership with Waco Business News and KWBU. Featuring host Austin Meek, the 30-minute show looks at the ins and outs of development in Waco. Each week you can hear interviews with local entrepreneurs, city officials, and people with a stake in developing our city on the Brazos.
During the show you'll also hear updates about new businesses, closures and development rumblings around town. But we also want to hear from you. Is there a building or an update on development that you want to know about?