“Good morning, folks.

Or should we say,

good morning, Golden. Welcome.”

Lori Housel’s words warmed the cool air and cloudy skies at the second annual Golden Farmers Market on June 7 in downtown Golden. Despite early morning showers, a sizable crowd showed up to enjoy a variety of foods, gifts and friendly personalities.

Housel and her husband, Tom, own The Veggie Stop, a vegetable store in Lakewood. They are looking forward to selling their vegetables at the market throughout the summer, and Lori Housel said she thinks this year’s market is off to a good start.

“Considering the weather, it’s been great. More people came out than we expected,” she said. “It takes time to get all this together, so we’re just excited to be here. We’re the city folks bringing you the veggies.”

Hot breakfast burritos, fresh coffee and tempting pastries enticed many from the nearby Brag and Drag car show, which also took place June 7 on Washington Avenue.

Vendors made friendly conversation with market-goers, handing out samples of jams, spreads and balsamic vinegars. Market patron Judi Becwar happily tasted a honey-roasted almond. “We come to the farmers market every year,” she said. “It’s a fun thing to do on a Saturday morning.”

Suzi Pinckert, market manager, said she was pleased with opening day.

“Everything has come together, and it’s been great,” she said. “As the summer goes on, we’ll have every stall filled. Some of the produce has to wait to reach its peak, like cherries and peaches, so it’ll be exciting to see all the vendors here by the end of the season.”

While standard market fare such as fresh flowers, cheese, bread loaves and locally grown produce is featured, other stalls also sell less traditional items, such as soap made from goat’s milk.

Along with a wide variety of foods, the market will offer music, entertainment and free horse-drawn carriage rides. A new addition to this year’s market is a blood drive sponsored by Bonfils Blood Center.

“About every other week, we’ll have someone out here collecting blood,” Pinckert said. “This is something we really want to encourage. It’s for such a great cause.”

The Golden Farmers Market, sponsored by the Golden Chamber of Commerce, is held on Jackson Street between 12th and 13th streets in downtown Golden. It will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Oct. 4, with the exception of July 26 during Buffalo Bill Days. For more information, call 303-932-6884 or 303-279-3113.