Farmers Market

Vancouver's newest farmers market will open Saturday, May 2, near the south entrance of the mall.

(Anna Marum/The Oregonian)

The Westfield Vancouver mall is adding a farmers market to its mix of shops and restaurants.

The market, sponsored by Portland-Vancouver Events, will open Saturday, May 2, near the south entrance of the mall.

The market will feature more than 30 vendors offering produce and wares, plus food carts and local musicians like Jacob Weber, Smooth Highway, DJ Sparks and American Idol contestant Jeff True Jones.

Mall general manager J.B. Schutte said in a statement that he believes shoppers will be excited at the prospect of having a farmers market in the area, and he hopes the new market will give more people access to locally grown food and locally made products.

This move by the Vancouver mall mirrors those at other shopping centers, which are fighting to stay relevant as department stores struggle to stay open. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out recently, the mall of tomorrow will serve as a "fully functional lifestyle center" with spas, gyms and places to buy food in addition to clothing shops.

Westfield Vancouver seems to be working to get ahead of that curve, and its tenant mix already includes a Gold's Gym location, several salons and a movie theater.

In Portland, where the aging Lloyd Center is in the midst of a $50-million remodel, the real estate brokers in charge of finding new tenants have said they're less interested in bringing in traditional tenants and more interested in pubs, yoga studios and restaurants.

The Vancouver mall will likely continue to evolve. In the meantime, the new addition will mark the area's sixth farmers market (according to the Clark County website), after markets in downtown Vancouver, Salmon Creek, Ridgefield, Battle Ground and Camas.

The Market at Vancouver Mall will be open from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 27.

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum