Published in the June 17, 2016 edition.
By WENDY DENNIS
Market Manager
WAKEFIELD — It looks like we will once again have great weather for our Opening Day! We hope you can join us as we enter our eighth season of bringing fresh local produce, specialty foods and more to our community. The Wakefield Farmers Market will be at Hall Park, on the shores of Lake Quannapowitt, each Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from June 18 through Oct. 15.
Opening day will feature great live music by students from Wakefield’s Onset School of Music, accompanied by the teaching staff, in what has become a great annual event at the market. This year will feature Peter Accardo (Lynnfield), Emily Bennett (Wilmington), Will Boemer (Reading), Finn Crowley (Reading), Jesse Delaurier (Melrose), Sean Douglass (Reading), Joe Faulkner (Reading), Jessica Jolly (Lynn), Gab Kautz (Wakefield), Isak Lam (Reading), Andrew Lupien (Wakefield), Joshua Mattera (Lynnfield), Bella Scolaro (Lynnfield), Sam Simpson (Wakefield), Brigit Smith (Wakefield) and Sebastian Wallace (Wakefield). Thank you to all the talented and upcoming musicians!
Our non-profit guest this week is the wonderful Wakefield Independence Day Committee, the group that brought back and now continues to bring the biggest July Fourth parade in Massachusetts and second biggest in New England to our town. Volunteers will be on hand offering ways to help support parade, including some great T-shirts and other items for sale as well as ways become a one-day or ongoing part of the team that makes this great annual event happen.
Or wonderful balloon twisting artist who goes by The Magic of Yarrow plans to join us, and we will of course also have hula hoops, sidewalk chalk and jump ropes on hand for kids of all ages.
Also great for the kids of all ages: We will have the Kid’s Activity tent set up and stocked with plenty of paper, crayons and scavenger hunt sheets for those so inclined.
We will have close to a full house this opening day, with 26 of our 32 vendors on hand! We are welcoming back most of our long-time vendors and one new vendor: Deano’s Pasta. I suspect that this market manager is not alone in looking forward to freshly picked fruits and veggies, lovely baked goods and specialty foods and tasty treats and beverages that we will get to enjoy for the next 18 weeks.
Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for – this week’s vendors!
Produce: Farmer Dave, Flats Mentor Farm and Kelly’s Farm will have plenty of in-season produce of all kinds, and I am sure there will be luscious strawberries available, as well as greens, herbs, potted plants and hopefully cut flowers from Kelly’s if there are some ready for picking this early in the season.
Pasture-raised Meats, Poultry, and Eggs: Lilac Hedge Farm will have all you need for locally raised meats and eggs, along with their local. honey. They also have yummy jerky type products, as well.
Fish: YES! The Fish Lady will be here with great seafood from Red’s Best, where you know who actually caught your fish from our local waters.
Cheese: West River Creamery. Along with the best cheese, Jane will also have pickled products and more.
Maple: Ackermann’s will have their delicious pure maple syrup and other tasty maple products.
Specialty Foods: Coutt’s Specialty Foods, Deano’s Pasta, In Good Taste (salsa) and Vermont Gourmet Candy Dish.
Baked Goods: Goodies Homemade (the BEST cookies!), Mamadou’s Artisan Bakery, Swiss Bakers, The Popover Lady and The Roasted Granola, which also offers locally made yogurt.
Spices and Seasonings: Bondat Foods, with six seasoning mixes for every savory occasion.
Beverages: Aaronap Cellars (wine) and Tower Beverages (craft soda). Plus, Pour Man’s Coffee where you can get a hot or cold beverage and unique treat to enjoy at the market as well as Fair Trade coffee beans from Dean’s Beans to take home.
Pet Treats: Emmett’s Edibles (Buster’s favorite snack source!)
Artisans: All About Corks, Kaleidoscope Soap, Salem Street Beadery, as well as Alison Simcox and Doug Heath with their great books about Lake Quannapowitt, Breakheart and The Fellsway.
Coming Up: Throughout the season, we will host a number of great groups, including Habitat for Humanity, Friends of Beebe Library (book giveaway on Sept. 10!) Tonneson & Co for the Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry, the Seeing Eye Puppies in Training back, Wakefield Memorial High School Alumni Foundation and more. In addition, the Wakefield Board of Health and Mass In Motion plan visit a time or two few times to promote the Wakefield Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee and the Bike Wakefield campaign. We are hoping they can do a bike clinic, too.
The season will feature live music by Kev G Mor, Ed Britt and Don Borchelt, Betty’s Bounce, the Los Sugar Kings Duo, singer-songwriter Amy Spillert, and even more to be scheduled. On days with no live music and before and after sets, we will have great background music courtesy of former Market Manager Kelli Stromski, who compiles great playlists for the market.
We are also looking forward to cooking demos and other educational presentations that support our local farmers.
The market will continue to accept both SNAP/EBT and credit/debit cards and will again be matching SNAP purchases up to $10 per visit so that everyone can afford to get fresh and healthy foods at our market.
The Wakefield Farmers Market runs rain or shine (except in dangerous weather, e.g. lightning or hurricane conditions). The market opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 1 p.m. every Saturday starting June 18 through Oct. 15. Please visit www.wakefieldfarmersmarket.org for a current listing of vendors and upcoming events and to sign up for our e-mail newsletter. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter. See you at the Market!
