Thursday afternoon, local growers gathered on Church Street for the last time this summer to offer their wares to area residents. Baked goods, herbs, honey, produce and flowers were to be found in abundance and shopping was brisk. The city of Fairhope sponsors the annual market. A spokesperson for the city said about 20 vendors participated this year, and that for the second year in a row, the market picked up in both the level of participation and variety of merchandise offered. Anyone interested in participating next year should go ahead and contact the city at 928-2835 and ask to be placed in the summer market database, which will enable them to receive updates on next summer’s market. Participating vendors must have a certificate from the health department and may only offer locally grown or prepared items; no brokered merchandise is allowed.