The Market at Pepper Place will mark its 20^th birthday with today’s Drive-Thru Market.

It’s a major milestone for what has become a Birmingham Saturday institution that has found a way to continue to operate during a global pandemic.

The Market at Pepper Place held its first market June 10, 2000 with seven farmers, Continental Bakery, an information tent, live music and a cooking demonstration. It grew to become a destination for many on Saturday mornings that filled not only the parking lot at the Pepper Place complex but surrounding streets and a portion of the parking lot at the Martin Biscuit Company building. Crowds also grew. Other markets in the Birmingham region and throughout the state followed.

A newspaper clipping from 2000 reports on the launch of the Market at Pepper Place. (contributed)

The first 19 years saw growing crowds and a social scene develop around the Market at Pepper Place. (file)

The Market at Pepper Place is one of the state’s most popular farmers markets. (file)

Live music has always been a part of the market but that’s not the case this year due to COVID-19. (contributed)

The first 19 years saw growing crowds and a social scene develop around the Market at Pepper Place. (file)

The Market at Pepper Place is among the state’s most popular farmers markets. (file)

Although COVID-19 has halted the public market aspects of the Market at Pepper Place, a primary reason for its existence – to allow farmers and makers to sell directly to buyers looking for the freshest and best goods – remains intact. The Drive-Thru Market at Pepper Place has been operating for three months and although much is lost socially, the market continues to deliver economically for farmers.

Buyers order and pay online earlier in the week and drive past a series of farmers’ tents along Second Avenue South between 27^th and 31^st Streets, stopping at the ones they ordered from for contact-free pickup. The Drive-Thru Market is open Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon.

The Birmingham Bake Sale was part of the market last month to raise money for Jones Valley Teaching Farm. Other ideas to make the Drive-Thru Market special are planned throughout the summer.

Market founder Cathy Sloss Jones is still actively involved in the Market’s leadership, and sits on the Market Board with Frank and Pardis Stitt and Franklin Biggs, who all were there at the first market.

Carole Griffin of Continental Bakery was one of the original vendors on opening day. Today, as part of the 20^th Anniversary weekend, Continental Bakery will be back at the Market at Pepper Place, selling scones and croissants just as it did two decades ago.