A New Food Systems Event
Launching at Plaza Unida
The North Fort Collins Business Association is taking on a new initiative, and we want you to help us shape it. Whether you're a local resident, business owner or involved in local food systems, we want to shape a community focused event to grow our local economy and celebrate North Fort Collins.
With a goal of launching in late Summer 2026, we need your voice now. Know an emerging entrepreneur? Live in the Fort Collins community? Interested in building community? Us too - let's shape the future together.
With a goal of launching in late Summer 2026, we need your voice now. Know an emerging entrepreneur? Live in the Fort Collins community? Interested in building community? Us too - let's shape the future together.
The Vision
Collect the voices, build the community, grow the local economy, provide access to affordable, nutritious foods.
A market that showcases local food growers, producers, manufacturers and preparers in our Fort Collins community. Equitable access for emerging businesses, pathways to vendor licensure and business development to uplift our neighbors.
What it means for you? Fresh produce grown here for your weekly meals, artisan foods made from cottage startups, engaging programming on stage, all with circularity baked right in.
A market that showcases local food growers, producers, manufacturers and preparers in our Fort Collins community. Equitable access for emerging businesses, pathways to vendor licensure and business development to uplift our neighbors.
What it means for you? Fresh produce grown here for your weekly meals, artisan foods made from cottage startups, engaging programming on stage, all with circularity baked right in.
The Time
With a goal of a limited series installation upon completion of the construction of the temporary events space, we are looking to bring a weekly event to the Plaza ending in the fall.
What day? What time?
We need your feedback from our survey to help us determine all the details.
What day? What time?
We need your feedback from our survey to help us determine all the details.
The Space
Rendering of the Plaza Unida temporary event space, courtesy of the Urban Renewal Authority approved design.
The Plaza Unida temporary events space was recently announced by the Urban Renewal Authority. It sits at the South East corner of Willox and North College Avenue at 1636 North College - the parking lot of a previously abandoned Albertson's.
Read the latest article on the space from the Coloradoan, also available through Poudre Library ProQuest portal.
Unfortunately, the building requires hazardous material remediation and is not salvageable. While the URA builds future plans for the space, they have built a temporary event space in the parking lot to build positive foot traffic and community activation. The URA is yet to release a Request for Proposal for an events space manager to build an enterprise operation plan with the space upon completion, and a ribbon cutting ceremony is in planning.
While the URA develops a master plan for the area, they have invested in a temporary event space to provide a sandbox for community event building. The design maximizes reusability, with two thirds of the investment able to be included in future development.
The space includes a stage with some shade cover and power for amplification, a turf lawn, four shore powered food truck spaces, covered picnic tables and Wi-Fi sponsored by Connexion to make cashless transactions smooth. There's even built in, dark sky friendly lighting to extend events into the evening.
Food trucks, cottage food vendors, food manufacturers, farmers, ranchers and more will be assigned spots along the outer edges of the event space, with live performances on stage during the market including a wide variety of performers.
Conveniently, Transfort will begin operating a bus line from the Downtown Transit Center to Plaza Unida every 20 minutes beginning in August, and bicycle and Spin parking are designed into the space. There's also plenty of parking should you travel by car in the surrounding additional parking lots.
Read the latest article on the space from the Coloradoan, also available through Poudre Library ProQuest portal.
Unfortunately, the building requires hazardous material remediation and is not salvageable. While the URA builds future plans for the space, they have built a temporary event space in the parking lot to build positive foot traffic and community activation. The URA is yet to release a Request for Proposal for an events space manager to build an enterprise operation plan with the space upon completion, and a ribbon cutting ceremony is in planning.
While the URA develops a master plan for the area, they have invested in a temporary event space to provide a sandbox for community event building. The design maximizes reusability, with two thirds of the investment able to be included in future development.
The space includes a stage with some shade cover and power for amplification, a turf lawn, four shore powered food truck spaces, covered picnic tables and Wi-Fi sponsored by Connexion to make cashless transactions smooth. There's even built in, dark sky friendly lighting to extend events into the evening.
Food trucks, cottage food vendors, food manufacturers, farmers, ranchers and more will be assigned spots along the outer edges of the event space, with live performances on stage during the market including a wide variety of performers.
Conveniently, Transfort will begin operating a bus line from the Downtown Transit Center to Plaza Unida every 20 minutes beginning in August, and bicycle and Spin parking are designed into the space. There's also plenty of parking should you travel by car in the surrounding additional parking lots.
What to Expect
|
Eat
Four food trucks, no generators |
Shop
Hyper-local produce, hand made foods |
Gather
Live performances, family friendly |
What is a Food System?
Northern Colorado has deep roots in agriculture. To us, a robust 'food system' means keeping things local. When you buy a tomato or a tamale at Fort North Market, your money directly supports the Larimer County farmer who grew it and the North FoCo neighbor who prepared it—keeping wealth right here in our community.
Developing an "end market" for our local food system to reach our historically underserved community will provide nutritional access to the rapidly growing, local community - keeping the dollars we spend in our community supporting those who work around us.
Developing an "end market" for our local food system to reach our historically underserved community will provide nutritional access to the rapidly growing, local community - keeping the dollars we spend in our community supporting those who work around us.
The Community
We want to attract local farmers, cottage food manufacturers, ready to eat food vendors and more to celebrate our vibrant North College community. We're also looking for community organizations, stage performers and others to build the event programming.
North Fort Collins has always been historically underserved, with histories of flooding, lack of infrastructure, blighted buildings, stalled developments and more. Alongside concentrated commercial districts, low and median income housing and social services support - residents and entrepreneurs can face significant barriers in navigating go to market strategies.
By providing support for business licensure, food safety and handling, tax registration, event insurance and marketing, we can bridge the gap in accessibility between residents and local entrepreneurs.
If you live or work in Fort Collins or are involved in food production, manufacturing, farming or food systems in any way - we want you to share your voice.
North Fort Collins has always been historically underserved, with histories of flooding, lack of infrastructure, blighted buildings, stalled developments and more. Alongside concentrated commercial districts, low and median income housing and social services support - residents and entrepreneurs can face significant barriers in navigating go to market strategies.
By providing support for business licensure, food safety and handling, tax registration, event insurance and marketing, we can bridge the gap in accessibility between residents and local entrepreneurs.
If you live or work in Fort Collins or are involved in food production, manufacturing, farming or food systems in any way - we want you to share your voice.
Office Hours
Wednesdays at MCHC North
Starting In July
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Join us at Music City Hot Chicken North for lunch on Wednesdays if you want to learn more, participate or help shape the future of the Fort North Market.
Schedule Time During Office HoursWant to collaborate, ask questions, or help shape the Fort North Market? Grab a 15 minute time slot to chat with us during our Wednesday office hours at Music City, or just stop by!. Reserve a TimeMusic City Hot Chicken North - 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Wednesdays, Starting July 1st, 2026 1820 N College Ave, Ste. 180 - Fort Collins, CO 80524 |
Sponsorship
Looking to be a bigger part of shaping a community event through your business or organization? Reach out to us at [email protected]. All donations are tax deductible through the North Fort Collins Business Association 501(c)(3) registration.