Clinton Farmers Market returns to fairgrounds
Patty Beets, left, with Lucy Beets, 10, and Rosie Schlandy, 9, check out the Dubai Chocolates booth at the last Clinton Farmers Market, Aug. 7, with proprietor Muna Sakhleh looking on. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
Organizers are hoping to see the 21 vendors from the Aug. 7 event in the city parking lot on North Main Street, along with a few more, at this weekend’s market.
They’re also hoping for a better customer turnout for the Saturday market, which shouldn’t interfere with most people’s work schedules, they said.
Next month, the market will return to the downtown parking lot from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 11, and then go back to the fairgrounds from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27.
Although the dates have not been set yet, market co-founder Matthew Garafolo said he expects to operate the market on both sites in October, as well, “as long as the weather holds up.”
That will be the last of the outdoor markets for the season, but Garafolo said he is working with the city to set up a winter market, possibly indoors at the Clinton Community Center.
“That still depends on our talks with the city, so we don’t have anything to announce about dates and times yet,” he said earlier.
Vendors for this Saturday are expected to include Hill View Farm’s “produce bus,” which brought the only produce to the Thursday market, along with others selling locally raised pork, beef and lamb; fresh baked goods and sweets; embroidered shirts and other non-food goods; handcrafted art; locally made hot sauces and spices; tallow products, and more.
Also expected are some food trucks.
Garafolo, a Clinton sheep farmer, and his partner, Maggie Hanso, created the market this year after the Clinton Farmers Market operators from the previous three years decided not to return this year.
The inaugural session was held on May 24, also at the fairgrounds.
