Transit riders, residents and other visitors will be able to enjoy good food, free giveaways, and fun cooking demonstrations at a special Block Party event at the North Hanley Transit Center (4398 Hanley Road) on Friday, June 15, from noon to 3 p.m. The Block Party is hosted by The Link Market as a way to thank customers, introduce families to farmers and other vendors, and celebrate the market’s first six months of operation. The event is free and open to the public.
“The Link Market is more than a grocery store” said Jeremy Goss, Link Market Founder and President. “Our food has a mission. We work with local farmers and community gardens to bring great food to this neighborhood and the next.”
The event will showcase farmers like Michael Turley of Rolling Lawns Farms in Greenville, Ill., whose milk can be found every week at The Link Market. Turley will be on hand to meet customers and discuss the importance of supporting local dairy farmers.
“We’re so excited to be working with The Link Market. They’re on a mission and we want to be part of it,” Turley said. “Fresh, healthy food should be accessible to everyone, and we’re committed to playing a small role in making it happen.”
The block party will also feature interactive cooking demonstrations by Celebrity Chef Martin Lopez from chefmartin.net. Chef Martin will prepare Calabacitas Mexicanas, a healthy, Mexican zucchini dish. The vegan-friendly taco recipe combines several fresh ingredients found at The Link Market – corn, onions, tomatoes, and zucchini.
“I believe that cooking is a celebration and art,” Chef Martin said. “I get my ingredients and I feel the textures, smell the aromas, and then the utensils become my tools, the pots and pans become my palette, and the plates are my canvas.”
Attendees will also be able to meet with several other vendors and partners at the Block Party, including:
- Black Brew Tea
- Diversity Cooking
- Links2Health
- Metro Transit
- Moor Lawns
- PotBangerz
- Rolling Lawns Farms
- SLATE
- St. Louis Area Food Bank
- St. Louis Community Credit Union
The Link Market was developed in partnership with the Bi-State Development Research Institute, Metro Transit and the Missouri Foundation for Health, which is funding this program through a grant. Easily accessible by public transit at their two locations at the North Hanley and Wellston Transit Centers, the kiosks offer affordably priced vegetables and fruits and other healthy household staples. The Link Market is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Cash, credit and EBT are accepted.
“There are areas of our region, particularly in North St. Louis County, where it can be challenging to reach grocery stores or other resources where you can get fresh produce and other nutritious food,” said John Wagner, Director of Bi-State Development Research Institute. “The Link Market kiosks are helping the region address issues like food insecurity by providing easy and affordable options to access fresh, healthy food for the thousands of people who use, or live near, the Metro transit system.”
About Bi-State Development
Bi-State Development (BSD) owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD is the operator of the Metro public transportation system for the St. Louis region, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a MetroBus vehicle fleet of approximately 400 vehicles operating on 83 MetroBus routes; and Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 120 vans. BSD also operates the Bi-State Development Research Institute and the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the region’s freight district.
About The Link Market
The Link Market (LINK) is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit grocery store working to restore access to healthy, affordable food to hungry people in the St. Louis region. LINK are modular grocery stores that serve food desert communities. Customers on their commutes can purchase a variety of great foods – fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and staple goods – at great prices while learning lessons on healthy eating.
About Metro Transit
Metro Transit operates the St. Louis region’s public transportation system which includes 400 clean-burning diesel buses that serve 83 MetroBus routes in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois. Metro also operates MetroLink light rail vehicles on 46 miles of track serving 37 stations in the two-state area, and operates Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro Transit is one of five enterprises operated by Bi-State Development.