MAYVILLE, N.D. -- Whether someone is looking to go camping or stock up on locally grown veggies, Mayville has it.
James and Stacie Morowski have been running the town’s farmers market for three years.
The family lives on a farm just south of Portland. James Morowski said his wife has had a garden for a while that just seems to be growing bigger and bigger over the years.
“We've always liked to go to farmers markets when we're in either Grand Forks or Fargo and it was one of those ‘Why can't we have one of these here?’ and so we started chatting with people,” he said.
After learning about some state grant information, they eventually became a sanctioned farmers market, opening in 2017.
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Since then, the farmers market has grown each year with new vendors, from the Mayville area, and new faces.
The farmers market is located in a pavilion in Island Park that used to host horseshoe competitions in the past, which means the event goes on each Wednesday evening and Saturday morning throughout the fall.
The farmers market typically starts earlier in the summer, but COVID-19 restrictions slowed the start until mid-July, James Morowski said.
This year they’re doing their best to make sure booths are separated and many people wear masks while doing their shopping, he said.
“The nice thing is -- because we are outside and open areas in the pavilion -- people can space out and keep their distance,” Stacie Morowski said. “People are just conscious of where they're standing and waiting to go to a booth.”
The farmers market is just one of many activities for people in town.
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Mayville is home to a number of parks and other outdoor activities for people to enjoy, including camping at Willowood campground.
“Whether you enjoy the camaraderie of organized sports like hockey, basketball and baseball, spending time outside in one of our beautiful city parks or splashing in our unique water park, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to spend time with family and friends,” the city’s website says.
Island Park, located on North Dakota Highway 200 in Mayville, is a popular location in town for walking and relaxing. The park is essentially an island, as its name suggests. The park is mostly surrounded by water from an oxbow of the Goose River. It has sheltered and open picnic areas to accommodate groups of all sizes and a playground.
A major event that typically happens in September is the annual Cruise to the Island car show, which brings more than 300 classic cars from local car clubs, according to the city’s website.
The community also has a 2.5 mile walking/bike trail that runs from Island Park in Mayville to the east edge of Portland.
In recent years, the city added a Frisbee golf course across the street from Island Park.
In the winter, those looking to go sledding can check out the Mayville Bowl for some fun. The location is located along Highway 200. The May-Port Ice Dawgs Hockey Club is a USA hockey club for boys and girls – Mites to Jr. Gold in the winter. An adult hockey league also meets weekly for those who like to stay in the game.
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