Because of covid, Lower Burrell farm market has best year ever; 2 Saturday markets left
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As the pandemic rushed in only a few months ahead of farm market season, Lower Burrell farm market organizers knew it wouldn’t be the same. No more picnic tables for the public to eat homemade pie bought by the slice, all with live music nearby.
Bud Myers, a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee and market organizer, lost a few of the regular vendors because of pandemic restrictions on distancing and crowds.
The farm market is held each Saturday during the summer and early fall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the City Hall parking lot, with just two markets left for the year on Oct. 10 and 17.
“But it turned into a banner year, one of the biggest since we started the market more than 10 years ago,” Myers said.
He knew something was up when he heard the local Lions Club was selling 15 to 25 brooms each Saturday.
“That told me that we were getting new people coming,” he said.
The crowds were bigger — but not too big, Myers noticed.
“It’s because of the virus,” Myers said of the consistently larger turnout.
“On a Saturday, where are they going to go?” he said. The farmers market is a perfect destination for items in addition to farm fresh produce such as baked goods, homemade soap and Italian food, Myers reasoned. “People are out in the fresh air, and there are all kind of good homemade things that you can’t get at the store and fresh produce.”
“People came like there wasn’t a pandemic,” Mayor John Andrejcik said. One factor that worked in the market’s favor was that Myers made sure there was social distancing so the public felt comfortable and safe at the venue, the mayor said.
For Myers, the trick is to get people to come in the first place, because they will return.
City officials were pleased with the farm market’s popularity this year.
“Bud has done an amazing job each year in organizing our Farmer’s Market,” Councilman Chris Fabry said. “It’s nice to have a local option for our residents.”