Construction on a new downtown Overland Park Farmers’ Market pavilion and Clock Tower Landing is getting closer to completion, and the city is now making plans for how to use the space to its full potential once it’s open next year.
The structure for the new pavilion has started to take shape, and anyone visiting downtown Overland Park recently can hear the whir and hum of construction activity coming from the site just east of Santa Fe Drive.
All of that work on the $34 million project is expected to wrap up in the next six months, ushering in a new era for what is perennially one of the top-rated farmers’ markets in the country.
The new pavilion should be open for 2026 market season
The new pavilion, which is set to open in spring 2026, will have a larger footprint and be enclosed.
There will also be accessibility upgrades, more seating, new restrooms, improvements to utilities and work on Overland Park Drive.
Work to improve the adjacent Clock Tower Plaza along Santa Fe Drive is also well underway. All told, the project to create the Clock Tower Landing area centered around the new pavilion is expected to cost $34 million.
The 2025 farmers’ market season — which officially wrapped up with the holiday market last weekend — was held at the nearby Matt Ross Community Center.
Since the farmers’ market usually begins each spring in April, it may start at Matt Ross again next year before moving to the new space later in the spring, once the new pavilion is complete.
What’s happening right now at Clock Tower Landing?
Crews are continuing to work on underground electrical infrastructure installation at the site.
Work to lay new concrete surfacing at the existing Clock Tower Plaza is expected to get underway this week, said Meg Ralph, director of communications for Overland Park, in an email.
Exterior metal framing, the sheathing and the roof insulation on the pavilion structure are completed, and construction on the interior of the new building has started.
Additionally, a parking lot on the eastern side of the new structure was paved last week, and the final vertical wall on the northern slope of the site was poured earlier this week.
These steps put the project in line to hit its anticipated completion date next spring.
“We are almost there,” said Kate Gunja, assistant city manager, at this month’s Overland Park City Council Community Development Committee meeting.
A piece of the old pavilion will get new life
About this time last year, Overland Park bid farewell to its old pavilion and sent its parts southwest to be rebuilt as a farmers’ market pavilion in Garnett, Kansas.
But that’s not the only part of the old farmers’ market structure that’s getting a second life.
The weather vanes that once sat atop the former structure are going to be restored, Ralph said. Passersby should expect to see them installed on the roof of the new pavilion in the next couple of months.
Events are being planned year-round at the new pavilion
To accommodate events of different sizes, the space in the pavilion and the surrounding area can be adjusted. For instance, Overland Park Drive can be closed off using bollards for larger events, and sections of the farmers’ market pavilion can be blocked off for smaller events.
Since the pavilion is enclosed, events can happen there year-round.
“It’s going to be an awesome amenity for our community,” said Councilmember Logan Heley, who chairs the Community Development Committee, calling it “an amazing new asset.”
The plan currently is to have regular events like the weekly farmers market, as well as other events organized by the Downtown Overland Park Partnership, like future Workout Wednesdays, music nights and a new Third Fridays Art Crawl.
Special events are also in the works, including the city’s annual Fall Festival, special World Cup Watch Parties next summer, trivia nights, movie nights, car shows and holiday festivities.
Gunja said the city and the downtown partnership group have both added staff to their rolls to help support programming and planning for Clock Tower Landing once it is complete.
Starting in 2026, there will be a new city arts and events coordinator focused on Clock Tower Landing.
Overland Park Parks and Rec has also hired a new position tied to the farmers’ market specifically. As of last week, the downtown partnership was advertising an open position, as well.
“We have recognized the need for additional support,” Gunja said.
Keep reading: How Clock Tower Landing, Overland Park farmers market area’s new name, nods to city’s history
