Palmer’s popular Friday Fling is back with changes made to improve traffic safety

Palmer’s Friday Fling was on again Friday, July 12, after a temporary pause due to traffic safety concerns.

The popular event, the first coming in 2002, brings vendors and the public into downtown Palmer on summer Fridays for a farmers’ market featuring locally-grown foods and hand-made crafts, food from the community’s mobile chefs and music.

However, concerns had been raised over the placement of safety cones to control traffic and the control of vehicles as vendors were setting up in the morning and closing down in the afternoon.

“People had been driving through,” as the event shut down, raising safety concerns, said Palmer’s acting city manager, Gina Davis. Changes were made including the increased presence of Palmer police, she said.

About 25 to 30 local vendors, all small businesses, display wares for sale at Friday Fling, which is sponsored by the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce.

Friday Fling is important because it brings more people into downtown Palmer, Davis said.

“People do more shopping in downtown stores and usually meet up with friends,” on Friday Fling days. “It brings a lot of activity to downtown Palmer,” she said.