NATCHEZ — Due to inclement weather that has affected crop conditions this year, the Summer Downtown Natchez Farmers Market did not have its traditional opening the first Saturday in June.

Director Eddie Burkes said the Saturday market would instead begin June 15 at 8 a.m. on the 100th block of Commerce Street, a little later than usual to allow a little extra time for the fresh goods to ripen to their full potential.

Burkes said the market is also home to a variety of vendors of arts, crafts and baked goods that could be sold year round, but the operating time of the farmers market has always been catered to the farmers first and foremost and the other vendors set up tables for their products on the farmers’ schedules.

“We have always closed the market depending on how the farmers are coming along,” Burkes said. “We always open the market with the farmers have a lot of produce and a lot of product. I talked to the farmers and found out how they were doing to determine when we would open the market and due to the freeze and the rain we moved the opening day to June 15.”

Burkes said customarily the Saturday market begins at 8 a.m. and closes at noon or earlier depending on how much produce is on the table.

In the meantime, Burkes said the smaller Pop-Up Market would continue from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Friday only on Broadway Street, after which the Pop-Up Market will disappear until the summer market ends.