Getting to the Danbury Farmer’s Market on Fridays was tough for a lot of people. Unless you worked in the vicinity or had the day off, chances are you just couldn’t get there. Well, starting this summer, you are in luck! The Danbury Farmer’s Market is moving to Saturdays.
The move to Saturday not only opens the market up to more people who couldn’t make it on a weekday but also opens up the market to a new mix of vendors. We’re talking produce, baked goods, meats, cheeses and more.
Here’s the current slate of vendors.
Edibles:
- Brewster Pastry – cakes, cookies, pastries, croissants, danish, and coffee cakes
- Candlelight Farms/Uconn Urban Agricultural Students – Vegetables, small fruits, flowers
- Choc Bouche Bath – Soaps and bath bombs
- Clatter Valley Farm – fruit, vegetables
- Garcia’s Churros
- Jim’s Honey – honey
- Killam + Bassette Farmstead – Assorted jams, eggs, fruit, vegetables, day lilies
- Love in a Jar – homemade dog treats
- Mother + Son Flowers + Garden – Vegetables
- New Milford Youth Agency – Maple syrup products, honey, produce
- Pepe’s Cream of the Crop – Hard shell clams
- Smith’s Acres – Plants, vegetables, fruit, flowers
- Taylor Family Farm – Produce
- White Pine Community/Twin Star Herbal Education – Herbs, salves, balms, culinary herbs
Other:
- CIFC Greater Danbury Health Center
- Danbury-Bethel 7th Day Adventist Church
- Wells Fargo
Plus, Greystar Real Estate Partners, developers of downtown Danbury’s new apartment complex Kennedy Flats, has awarded $1,700 to the market for live music. “We believe that Farmers’ Markets are an integral part of any thriving community and are happy to be able to enhance this weekly event by sponsoring live music,” says Justin Gaboury, Senior Community Manager of Kennedy Flats, which overlooks Kennedy Park. “Having access to fresh local produce and handcrafted items outside of our doorstep is a tremendous asset to downtown residents.”
In addition to all the new possibilities, the market will continue its highly successful nutrition-in-action program, “Better Health Through Better Food,” serving food-insecure community members by doubling the value of their government food assistance at the market.
In related and exciting news, The Danbury Farmers’ Market Community Collaborative (DFMCC), the group that runs the market, received a $27,133 grant from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Farm Viability Grant program in support of a multi-pronged goal to increase consumer participation and vendor sales by at least 25 percent in 2016.
In partnership with CityCenter Danbury, the Danbury Farmers’ Market Community Collaborative is comprised of more than 30 community leaders who share the goal of fostering Downtown economic development, agricultural viability, and providing equitable access to fresh food for all. The highly competitive Farm Viability Grant program is aimed at helping municipalities and agricultural non-profits to create infrastructure that sustains and enhances agriculture in their communities with the help of matching grants.
To help generate buzz for the Danbury Farmer’s Market, expect to see print ads with coupons, on-line ads, bus ads and direct marketing. And, for a little fun, they plan to do special Market Madness promotion days with market-based giveaways.
The Danbury Farmers’ Market opens Saturday, June 25 and will run every Saturday through October 29. It’s located at Kennedy Park on Kennedy Avenue, just off Main Street. Hours are 10 am to 2 pm. For more information, call CityCenter Danbury at 203-792-1711 or visit www.citycenterdanbury.com.