By Deborah Reed

WKTV Managing Editor

deborah@wktv.org

The City of Wyoming provided a tour of their new community market space, Godwin Mercado, on Tuesday, July 1.

Managed and programmed by Kyle VanEerden, Godwin Mercado Market Manager, and the Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department, the market space will support local vendors, seasonal farm and artisan markets, food trucks, community events and private events.

Krashawn Martin, Wyoming Parks and Recreation Department Director, provided a preview of the nearly completed 6,000-square-foot, $6.2 million facility.

“The Godwin Mercado is a year-round market facility that we are looking at as a really amazing and beautiful gift to the community here in Wyoming,” said Martin.

“A lot of work has been done to get us to this point,” Martin continued, noting that the Mercado groundbreaking was held seven months ago. “It’s amazing to see the progress that has happened in the building so far.”

The Mercado will be fully operational in fall of 2025 and will soon open for community reservations and events. The full farmers market will open in spring of 2026 to allow a full season for farm vendors.

Fulfilling a vital need

Not only will the Mercado provide fun and educational activities and events, market days will provide fresh and healthy food options with access to all food assistance currencies. This will fill key gaps in the area’s food system and help support the well-being of local residents.

“This is definitely fulfilling a need,” said Martin. “We’re definitely trying to fill a gap in the food system over here. There are some options of grocery stores nearby, but we really want to be able to provide fresh food options to the community right here in this neighborhood while also providing some education.”

A community hub

On the west end is the Mercado outdoor plaza, a multipurpose space that can accommodate vendors, activities and live music, seating and can be rented for community events. Electrical power is available for food trucks and other event needs.

“Imagine there’s live music happening, there’s a lot of community, there’s kids laughing, there’s people talking,” said Martin. “That’s what this space should feel and look like once we’re fully operational.”

Accessible from the outdoor plaza is the Mercado main entrance and lobby. Restrooms can be found immediately to the left upon entering the lobby. Down the hall is a multipurpose room that can be utilized for meetings and during events. Another small room offers appliances such as warmers, a freezer and a refrigerator with a window connecting to the main event space.

The main event space includes automatic overhead doors and room for 20-24 vendors. Outdoor space for additional vendors is available along the building’s north wall.

Two utility rooms with storage space and a full AV setup at the east end of the building round out the market space.

Events year-round

Godwin Mercado is open all year – even during Michigan’s winter months. Eight automatic overhead doors that open and close facilitate that year-round possibility.

“In those colder weather months, maybe you’ll see the garage doors down, maybe we’ll have a little breeze going,” said Martin. “But this gives us a great amount of space to be able to have vendors.”

A single market day will be hosted each week during the winter months. Two market days will take place during the summer months.

Planning is already in progress for both a fall festival and a holiday market. The City’s annual winter event, Wrap Up Wyoming, will also take place at the Godwin Mercado.

Restoring a previous historic Wyoming event is also under consideration.

“Wyoming historically has had a pretty significant flea market that used to take place on 28th Street,” said Martin. “We’re hoping to bring back a semblance of a flea market that will take place here.”

Intentional connections

A mural installed by the nonprofit, Lions & Rabbits Center for the Arts, will be painted by a local artist on the outer south wall of the Godwin Mercado building.

The north side of the building is equipped with two connecting paths to the surrounding neighborhood, space for outdoor vendors, seating, a play area for children, and a bike repair station.

The City’s reconfigured trail network, its proximity to the highway and Silver Line bus route, and the walkable neighborhood location will make the Mercado easily accessible to everyone.

“We’ve tried to be really intentional with some of our neighborhood connectors,” said Martin.

Educational collaborations with local schools and organizations are also in planning stages. The goal is to provide youth with education about fresh foods, fun collaborations with the adjoining Godwin Heights school athletic complex activities, and encouraging entrepreneurial skills by bringing youth in as vendors for a special market day.

Martin is cognizant, however, that other local organizations provide much of what the Mercado will offer the community – and she has no intention of reinventing the wheel.

“There are a lot of programs that are doing this work already, so it’s just finding those partnerships and having this be the space that people need for the ideas they already have,” said Martin. “We really want this to be an asset to the neighborhood that’s right here around us.”

Come one, come all!

Godwin Mercado will host a free grand opening event on Saturday, Aug. 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“We are really looking at that as a huge community block party, a gift to the community,” said Martin. “We want to give an opportunity for people to see and feel the space, and see some things that might be [around during] market season.”

Attendees can expect food trucks, local vendors, kids activities, live music, games, a free meal (while supplies last) and more.

Resource links

The Godwin Mercado full market grand opening is planned for spring of 2026. For updates, sign up for the Godwin Mercado newsletter here.

Interested vendors can sign up to participate weekly or for the entire market season via an online vendor application.

For more information about Godwin Mercado, click here.