Fourth Friday in Hartford City

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOURTH FRIDAY RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS WITH NEW “WANDERING MARKET” FORMAT

Inaugural Fourth Friday vendor Northside Greenhouse will host the first traveling open-air market August 30

HARTFORD CITY, Ind. — Fourth Friday is returning to its roots while taking the next step in the evolution of the popular Blackford County vendor market.

Fourth Friday LLC will launch a new floating-venue market format on Sunday, August 30, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Northside Greenhouse, 1517 S. Walnut St., Hartford City. The new concept, currently working under the name “Wandering Market” by Fourth Friday LLC,” will bring Fourth Friday vendors to different locations and provide additional opportunities for vendors, host businesses and the community to participate throughout the year.

The location of the first event brings the Fourth Friday story full circle.

Northside Greenhouse was among the inaugural vendors when Fourth Friday began in 2023 as an open-air market. Three years later, owner Bobbie Trees is opening Northside Greenhouse’s highway location to help launch the next chapter of the Fourth Friday brand.

The new format expands Fourth Friday beyond a single location or traditional schedule. By creating smaller markets at rotating host locations, Fourth Friday LLC hopes to offer more dates, more locations and more flexible schedules while giving additional vendors an opportunity to participate.

Fourth Friday has evolved considerably since its first season in 2023. What began as a small downtown market grew into Fourth Friday at the Fairgrounds, eventually bringing dozens of vendors, community organizations and activities together at the Blackford County 4-H Fairgrounds.

That growth was made possible in part through community sponsorships that helped offset the costs of producing the events. As Fourth Friday LLC looks toward its next chapter, President Dustin Maddox said the new format provides an opportunity to reduce overhead while directing more resources toward supporting and promoting participating vendors.

“In 2024, we benefited from amazing sponsors like Paul Kraus and Tim Norris who contributed so much to building and promoting Fourth Friday. Support from the Hartford City Chamber of Commerce in 2025 covered the facility fees, but the location itself remained our biggest expense. This new format will keep events affordable for vendors while allowing us to invest in the outreach they deserve,” Maddox said.

Following the formation of Fourth Friday LLC and the transition of organizational leadership to Maddox, the organization has continued exploring ways to build on Fourth Friday’s history while adapting the event for the future.

Tim Norris, a past Fourth Friday organizer and sponsor, said the changes are necessary after challenges during the 2025 season.

“With declining attendance and vendor participation in 2025, it was obvious adjustments would need to be made. Change is rarely easy, but I'm confident Dustin is the leader to make these difficult decisions needed to move the organization forward,” Norris said.

The August 30 market represents both a return to the simple open-air format that started Fourth Friday and the beginning of a more flexible model for its future.

Rather than limiting the Fourth Friday name to one venue, one day of the month or one type of market, the floating-venue concept gives Fourth Friday LLC the flexibility to work with businesses, organizations and locations interested in hosting future vendor opportunities.

The concept can provide more dates, more locations and more flexible schedules while creating new opportunities for host businesses to welcome Fourth Friday vendors and visitors to their properties.

Northside Greenhouse will serve as the inaugural host for the new format on Sunday, August 30, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Additional information regarding participating vendors and future Fourth Friday LLC events and collaborations will be announced as details become available.

EVENT INFORMATION

Wandering Market by Fourth Friday LLC
Sunday, August 30, 2026
2:00–6:00 p.m.
Northside Greenhouse
1517 S. Walnut St.
Hartford City, IN 47348

For vendor or visitor information, visit Fourth Friday LLC on Facebook or FourthFridayLLC.com