Something’s brewing at farmers market

o Vancouver Farmers Market

What: Clark County’s largest farmers market, with fresh food, crafts, meats, cheeses and a host of other items.

When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays, March 21 through Nov. 1.

Where: Sixth and Esther streets, Vancouver.

Information: www.vancouverfarmersmarket.com

o Vancouver Brewfest: Spring Edition

What: Spring brewfest featuring local beers, whiskey makers and NCAA basketball tournament viewing.

Where: Propstra Square, Esther Short Park.

When: Noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 20-21.

Cost: $20 for admission, pint glass and five tokens. Extra tokens are $1 each. $10 and free non-alcoholic drinks for designated drivers.

Information: vancouverbrewfest.com

The forecast for Esther Short Park this weekend includes a lively combination of beer, basketball and bountiful food choices.

Not only is this opening weekend for the Vancouver Farmers Market, but it’s also the launch of the first “Vancouver Brewfest: Spring Edition,” as organizers are calling it.

“It’s going to be a busy weekend, for sure,” said Jordan Boldt, the market’s executive director. “We hope the weather’s going to be good. It’s always great to see things start to get hopping around here. This, in some ways, is the start of the big event season.”

Beyond the array of locally crafted beer at the spring brewfest, the new event also coincides with NCAA basketball’s first weekend of March Madness. Cody Gray, the organizer, who also runs the Vancouver Brewfest each August, said the basketball tournament pairs perfectly with the spring event.

“I came up with the idea of having big screen TVs in our tent,” said Gray. “Comcast sponsored us, so we can have three NCAA games going at a time during the festival.”

All of Clark County’s breweries plan to participate in the event, except for Loowit Brewing, which had a scheduling conflict. There will be more than 30 brewers total, and a handful of local distillers who will collaborate on the festival’s whiskey bar.

“We’ll have five distillers, including Double V from Clark County,” Gray said. “We wanted people to be able to try some of the great local distilleries that have been growing in our area.”

The festival will have a free throw shooting contest on an electronic basketball game inside the tent. Winners will get prizes and gifts from local businesses.

“I’m trying to really make my brand stand out from the other brewfests with our quality of events,” Gray said. “We want this to be really fun and active for our participants.”

Profits from the festival go to support Disabled American Veterans, Northwest Battle Buddies and Second Chance Companions.

The brewfest will also have food vendors Foody Blues, South Pacific Grill and Farm to Fire Pizza.

Eventgoers can also head over to the Vancouver Farmers Market for a healthy selection of snacks and items that they can bring home as part of their weekly grocery shopping, Boldt said.

“One of the fastest-growing segments for farmers markets around the country are grab-and-go things like salsas, mixes, honey, smoked goods, granola, roasted nuts and other snacks,” Boldt said. “And we’re seeing more of those kinds of vendors, which we like as we continue to transform the market into a more complete shopping venue.”

The market will also have its usual selection of food carts for visitors to enjoy, he said.

Along with the launch of the market, Boldt said the organization also will start a special scholarship program this year from the $10,000 it raised in parking donations last season. Of that, $5,000 will go to local students interested in agriculture, business, the arts or the food industry. The other $5,000 will go to vendors at the market to fund classes in business development, finance and other areas.

“It’s our first year doing that, but we hope we can grow it a lot,” Boldt said. “Business development is key. Many times, vendors grow and eventually graduate from farmers markets into larger businesses. We want to be a catapult to success for our vendors.”

Boldt said 2015 looks like it will be a lively season — both for events at the park and for the Vancouver Farmers Market.

“We’re really excited about it,” Boldt said. “Things are really growing here in Vancouver.”