Experience Highlights: How to Promote the Fun Beyond the Shopping

People may come to your farmers market for fresh food.

But they stay, return, and bring friends because of the experience.

Music, demos, kids activities, tastings, community booths, and themed days help turn your market from a place to shop into a place to be.

That matters.

Why It Matters

Your vendors matter. Your products matter.

But the experience is what makes the market feel like a community habit.

Experience highlights help you:

• Give people more reasons to attend
• Reach families and casual visitors
• Support performers, partners, and sponsors
• Make each week feel fresh
• Encourage longer visits

A better experience creates better word-of-mouth.

Why It Works

Experience highlights speak directly to Marketing 3-4-5™.

People choose to show up because of:

Experience: They can picture what it will feel like to be there.
Likeability: They feel connected to the market, vendors, and community.
Differentiation: Your market feels unique, not generic.

They also support social media, in-person discovery, word-of-mouth, and content.

Translation: this is easy content with a big upside.

Small Steps, Big Wins

Start with one experience highlight per market.

It could be:

• A musician
• A kids activity
• A cooking demo
• A nonprofit booth
• A themed market day

Do not bury the good stuff in one generic event post.

Give the experience its own moment.

A Prompt-Based Approach to Experience Highlights

Use these prompts:

• What is happening beyond shopping this week?
• Who is involved and why are they worth featuring?
• Who is this activity best for?
• What will people see, hear, taste, learn, or enjoy?
• Why does this make the market more fun or valuable?

What You Can Expect

When you promote experiences consistently, you can expect:

• More reasons for people to attend
• More families and first-time visitors
• Better social content
• More value for sponsors and partners
• A stronger identity for your market

People do not just remember what they bought. They remember how it felt.

Get Going - Free Worksheet Download

FREE Download: Experience Highlight Worksheet

This worksheet helps you:

• Promote music, demos, and activities clearly
• Highlight performers, partners, and sponsors
• Show who each experience is for
• Create repeatable content that drives attendance