With summer around the corner, Broad Ripple Village will flex its cultural and artistic muscles with three of its most popular events occurring in the coming weeks.

First up will be the Broad Ripple Farmers Market, which will open for its 12th straight year Saturday with eight new vendors. The market features 33 Hoosier farmers, wholesalers and retailers and will be open 27 consecutive Saturdays mornings on the parking lot at Broad Ripple High School, 1115 Broad Ripple Ave.

Jennifer Baird will sell corn from her family’s farm for the first time at the market. My Dad’s Sweet Corn, Carmel, “is the sweetest corn you’ve ever had,” Baird said.

The Baird family spreads out over the summer and sells the ears for $6 a dozen at farmers markets in Carmel, Fishers, Noblesville and on Binford Boulevard.

The corn also is sold to Fresh Market stores in Carmel and Broad Ripple.

The harvest won’t be until at least July 10, so the Bairds’ booth will be empty until then. “I could try to resell someone else’s corn, but that would miss the whole point,” Baird said.

Nikki Royer has sold meat at the farmers market since 2003 and will be back again. The co-owner of Royer Farm Beef, Lamb and Pork said she has built up a steady customer base.

“A lot of people use the farmers market to do their weekly shopping,” Royer said, “and because more people come to the Broad Ripple market every year, that gives us a chance to increase our base.”

She attends the Fishers farmers market on Saturdays, while her husband, Scott, tends to the Broad Ripple booth.

The week after the market opens, the Broad Ripple Village Association will host its annual Spring Gallery Tour.

Eighteen galleries and specialty shops will be open from 5 to 9 p.m. May 8 from Kessler Boulevard on the south to East 67th Street on the north. A free shuttle will take browsers through the neighborhood, and artists will be on hand to discuss their work.

Some of the highlights will include:

Indiana Fine Estate Art&Rugs, which will feature vintage Indiana artwork by Anthony Buchta, William Forsyth, Adolph Shulz, T.C. Steele and others.

Chelsea’s will display Indiana artist Terri Hanson’s original designs that include sterling silver, semiprecious stones and Swarovski crystals.

Big Hat Books will show Peggy Breidenbach’s and Mary Jo DeMeyer’s ceramics, Susan Hodgin’s oils and Lisa Pelo-McNiece’s glass.

Finally, the 39th annual Broad Ripple Art Fair will be May 16 and 17 on the grounds of the Indianapolis Art Center, 820 E. 67th St.

About 225 artists will offer their work for sale, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, jewelry, glass and pottery. The art fair also will feature live music on four stages, with snacks and treats available from a gourmet food court.

Iris Dillon, director of the fair, said its popularity keeps growing. This year 700 applicants competed for booth space. The fair drew 21,000 people last year and is expected to draw 25,000 if the weather is good again.

Dillon encouraged parents to bring their children.

“They should know that it is really family-friendly, and there are things for the children to do, including a kids’ tent,” she said. “It’s not just for grownups.”