Locals looking to get some of their favorite freshly grown produce at the Helena Market Days this year should consider setting their alarms early, according to Helena Councilwoman Cris Nelson.

The market, which will be held every Saturday near the Helena Amphitheater from 8 a.m.-noon beginning June 5, will feature fruits, vegetables and other locally made products.

This will be the second year for the Helena summer market, which drew widespread community support during its inaugural year, said Nelson, who works to organize the event.

“Last year was our first year, and we were just overwhelmed with the response we had from the community,” Nelson said. “This year we will have several new growers, and we will have some growers that have been there before.”

The market will usually feature about 15 vendors per week, who will not only sell food, but other homemade items as well.

“This is truly a home-grown type market,” Nelson said. “Even if the products are not consumable, they will be something someone local has made themselves.”

Vendors will bring plenty of their products to sell at the market, but sometimes customer demand can outstrip the supply, Nelson said.

“During the season, the vendors sometimes have a limited supply of certain crops,” Nelson said. “So a lot of the market regulars know that if they waited until 10:30 to come to the market, some of the good stuff would be gone.

“So you can tell the community really supports this market,” Nelson said.

This year’s market will also feature live music and cooking demonstrations from local musicians and chefs.

The June 5 market will feature a chef demonstration by Etricia Williams from Helena’s 122 Tree Lane, and live music from Gary Jones.

“People really like to sit under the trees and listen to the live music, even if they aren’t shopping,” Nelson said.

For more information about Helena Market Days, including a week-by-week schedule of events, visit Helenamarketdays.com.