High Rock Park

Saratoga Farmers Market Kicks Off Outdoor Season at High Rock Park

May 3, 2023 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

It’s finally here! For the first time in three years, Saratoga Farmers’ Market vendors will set up their stalls in the greenery of High Rock Park for the first week of May. The farmers’ market’s long-held tradition of moving outdoors in the spring will begin again.

What better way to kick off the new season than with a celebration? On Saturday, May 6, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., area residents are invited to High Rock Park as the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s 45th season opens. Market-goers are invited to join local farms and businesses for a ribbon cutting just before 9 a.m. Then, the market bell rings, music fills the air, and vendors begin offering fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, and much more.

“We are all very excited to return to High Rock Park for our 45th year in operation! We have a great lineup this year of vendors, including many who are returning and several who are new to our market,” says Mark Bascum, the market’s president.

About 80 vendors will participate in the Saturday market. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market also operates on Wednesdays, from 3-6 p.m., with about 30 vendors.

Bring your shopping list and walk, bike, or drive to High Rock Park, where, twice a week, vendor stalls fill the pavilions and spill out onto the lawns. Grab a coffee made with locally roasted beans and perhaps a light breakfast from one of the many prepared food vendors featuring items like breakfast sandwiches, pastries, and single-serve yogurts with fruit.

And shop.

This year, we encourage you to visit the market via bicycle, if feasible. Purchase a Bike Benefits sticker at the market information table, and earn a $2 coin with every ride to the farmers’ market. We also invite you to bring your reusable shopping bags to reduce waste and the market will have totes available for purchase. We continue our compost collection program and will accept fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, and similar items. We have an ATM on-site, and most vendors accept credit cards. We also accept SNAP benefits.

While shopping, check out the children’s activities like free face painting, and enjoy live music, and information from local non-profit tables.

See you there!

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Mid-week farmers’ market returns to High Rock Park

April 28, 2023 By marketeditor

By Julia Howard

Local food and farming as all about following seasonal rhythms. The Saratoga Farmers’ Market also abides by springtime signals of warmer weather and longer days with its annual return to High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs. But don’t hurry to High Rock just yet. There is one more market indoors at the Wilton Mall on Saturday, April 29, before the customary move outdoors that will kick off on Wednesday, May 3, from 3-6 pm.

This year’s return of the midweek market to downtown Saratoga offers a more intimate, slower-paced alternative to the Saturday markets. Product offerings include fresh produce, plants and flowers, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts, tool sharpening services, and more.

For customers, the smaller size of the Wednesday market is a draw with smaller crowds, more convenient parking options, and opportunities for meaningful interactions with farms and businesses selling at the farmers’ market.

“Since there’s less traffic, products don’t sell out as quickly, and there’s not such a rush for customers to get to the market. The atmosphere is very laid back,” adds Charles Holub, owner of Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm.

This season’s Wednesday markets will introduce new vendors like Meltwater Farm, Greener Pastures, The Bread Butler, Caliva Cookie, and others. Market-goers will be reunited with returning businesses like Owl Wood Farm, Squash Villa Farm, Gomez Veggie Ville, Mister Edge Sharpening, Euro Delicacies, Saratoga Apple, and more.

Adding to the Wednesday market’s appeal are this season’s educational workshops, community programs, and events for children and families that will be offered exclusively at the midweek market.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is pleased to partner with Loving Earth Compost to offer an accessible community composting program to market shoppers, promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness.

A family-friendly affair, this season’s Wednesday markets will offer the Power of Produce Club with themed activities for children of all ages (June 21 through September 6). The 12-week program offers cooking demonstrations, scavenger hunts, crafts, and farmer meet and greets that provide nutrition, agriculture, and exercise education. Each child will be given a $2 POP token to purchase fresh fruit or vegetables at the market.

Market-goers can also expect weekly live music and community guests (including the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners offering gardening tips and soil). On Wednesdays in July and August, representatives from the Office for the Aging will hand out free Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program coupons for fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market. Market-goers can also enjoy a free, 1-hour educational workshop series beginning in June with topics covering sustainable living.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. The farmers’ market will return to High Rock Park on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

Saratoga Farmers’ Market Will Open Outdoor Season in Temporary Quarters

April 26, 2022 By marketeditor

By Himanee Gupta

The month of May will be a bit different for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market this year. Normally, this is when we clang our opening day bells at our outdoor location on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning at High Rock Park.

This year, we will be elsewhere for a few weeks, and we invite you to join us there.

We kick off our outdoor season at 3 p.m. this coming Wednesday, May 4, outside the City Center Parking Garage while construction crews widen the sidewalks at High Rock Park and build it into the downtown segment of the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail. Our Saturday market will go outdoors at 9 a.m. on May 7 in the parking lot of the Wilton Mall, marking our third year of opening at that locale.

Final 2022 Wednesday Market Map Parking Garage

We look forward to being at High Rock by Memorial Day.

In the meantime, spring is in full spring. Market stalls are brimming over with fresh bags of arugula and spinach, seasonal greens like ramps and claytonia, radishes, pea shoots, and the first chard and kale of the season. Eggs are abundant. Chicken, pork, beef, lamb, rose veal, and goat meat will soon be available. Our chefs will also be in action, offering a range of warm, ready-to-eat items.

The COVID-19 pandemic coupled with construction prevented the market from operating at High Rock in 2020 and part of 2021. The market was set to return to its usual outdoor location at High Rock Park until we learned in late March that this would not be possible.

The city said it was planning to extend the Saratoga Greenbelt Trail from Lake to Excelsior avenues, right across the lawns outside the High Rock pavilions where the farmers market takes place. Construction would be in progress, and parking would be limited.

“We were taken by surprise,” admits Mark Bascom of Owl Wood Farm and president of the market’s board.

“We immediately worked to find solutions for our market to return to High Rock Park as soon as possible.”

As of now, work on the Greenbelt is in progress. Lawns outside the market pavilions are being dug up. When completed, this portion of the trail will connect downtown Saratoga to Exit 15 trail at Excelsior Avenue. It will consist of a 10-foot wide ADA-accessible paved path along High Rock and Excelsior avenues and a continuous sidewalk network. The city plans to replace 49 trees with 62 healthier trees.

For many longtime Saratoga Farmers Market vendors, news of the construction turned into an opportunity to build better relationships with city officials. Beth Trattel, owner of Something’s Brewing and market board vice president, praised both the city and the mall for expressing their support for the market’s continuation.

“The City Center and its executive director Ryan McMahon generously stepped up to let us use the space in front of the parking garage structure for the Wednesday market,” she said. “It has good visibility and will coincide with our goal of providing a vibrant community meeting place that is accessible to all.”

A fresher way to get through the week

June 15, 2021 By marketeditor

By Emily Meagher

Market at High Rock Park, photo by Pattie Garrett

Weekend farmers’ markets are a great way to unwind from the week, spend time with family and friends, and stock your fridge for the week ahead. But there’s no need to wait until the weekend to do this – the Saratoga Farmers’ Market’s midweek market, rain or shine, on Wednesdays, 3-6 pm, offers a way to get the freshest foods – usually picked off the land the day before or even that morning.

This year’s return of the midweek market to downtown Saratoga in High Rock Park offers a more intimate, slower-paced alternative to the Saturday markets. Product offerings include fresh produce, plants and flowers, eggs, baked goods, prepared foods, tool sharpening services, and more.

Scotch Ridge Berry Farm, photo by Pattie Garrett

Vendors appreciate the market’s different characteristics. “Midweek markets are a great opportunity for farmers since it provides a platform to sell your freshest products that otherwise might not make it to the weekend,” says Charles Holub, owner of Scotch Ridge Berry & Tree Farm. He notes that since his farm doesn’t use pesticides or herbicides, they must pick berries every other day to avoid critters. “And naturally grown fruit doesn’t keep long after picking – just a day or two – so these midweek markets let us sell more of our product,” Holub adds.

For customers, the smaller size of the Wednesday market is a draw, especially this year. “Many customers prefer the smaller crowds – plus it makes it easier to have more meaningful personal interactions with customers,” says Becky Dennison of Shushan Valley Hydro Farms. “Since there’s less traffic, products don’t sell out as quickly, and there’s not such a rush for customers to get to the market. The atmosphere is very laid back,” adds Charles Holub.

A family-friendly affair, this season’s Wednesday markets will offer the Power of Produce Club with themed activities for children of all ages (running June 30th through September 1). Market-goers can also expect weekly live music and community guests (including the Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners offering gardening tips and soil testing every third Wednesday of the month). Also, on Wednesday, July 21 and Wednesday, August 11, representatives from the Office for the Aging will hand out free Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program coupons to be spent on fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ market.

Visit the Wednesday market every week, 3-6pm at High Rock Park!

This week’s recipe: Pasta with Spring Vegetables

Saratoga Farmers’ Market to begin 43rd outdoor season in two locations

April 27, 2021 By marketeditor

Outdoor Saturday Market, photo by Pattie Garrett

By Madison Jackson

Spring is in the air, and we are eager to move outdoors for our summer market season. May 1st marks the beginning of the 43rd outdoor market season for the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the area’s longest-running, producer-only farmers’ market. The Saturday market will open at the current location, the Wilton Mall Bon-Ton parking lot, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Wednesday market will open at High Rock Park in downtown Saratoga Springs from 3 to 6 p.m. every week.

The location split results from various factors, including COVID-19 social distancing guidelines, customer parking, accessibility, and community feedback. A recent survey with more than 700 responses resulted in an even split in public opinion on holding markets downtown versus the Wilton Mall.

Balet Flowers & Design, photo by Pattie Garrett

This year’s weekly Saturday markets will feature more than 70 vendors selling fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, flowers, prepared foods, and more. The Wednesday markets will feature about 20 vendors with a similar range of products. Both markets will also include music, community guests, and periodic special events like Saturday’s Blueberry Festival in July and Power of Produce (POP) Club for kids on Wednesdays this summer.

We are excited to welcome new and returning vendors into the mix carrying a variety of products. Some to look out for include Capital Greens NY, Charlton Woodworking, Dancing Ewe Farm, Grazin’ Acres Farm, Leaning Birch Farm, Lovin’ Mama Farm, M & A Farm, Mirage Waterless, Native Farm Flowers, Night Work Bread, Old Tavern Farm, TogaNola Snack Company, Vashti’s Kitchen Delights, and Nine Pine Soup and Design.

Shushan Valley Hydro Farms & Underwood’s Greenhouses, photo by Pattie Garrett

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market has remained committed to creating a safe environment for both vendors and customers, including handwashing and sanitizing stations, social distancing, and mask requirements. As we move into the summer season, we will continue to enforce these state-issued regulations for the health and safety of our community.

The addition of an online ordering and curbside pickup program has provided an alternative for customers to safely and conveniently access local goods without having to shop inside the market. Orders can be placed online each week between Monday at 9 p.m. and Thursday at 9 p.m. for curbside pickup on Saturdays.

“Warming temperatures are a sign that the summer market season is about to begin, and we can’t wait for all it will bring this year: spring flowers, summer produce, live music, and community in the great outdoors,” says Market Administrator Emily Meagher.

Find our full listing of summer vendors in our Vendor Directory.

SARATOGA FARMERS’ MARKET OPENS 2021 SUMMER SEASON IN TWO LOCATIONS

April 1, 2021 By marketeditor

Saratoga Springs, April 1, 2021 – The Saratoga Farmers’ Market, the area’s longest running farmers’ market, will open their 43rd outdoor market season on Saturday, May 1 at its current location at the Wilton Mall, in the former Bon-Ton and Bow Tie Cinemas parking lots. Their Wednesday market will open on May 5 at downtown Saratoga’s High Rock Park.

This year’s weekly Saturday markets, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature over 70 local vendors selling fresh produce, dairy products, eggs, meats, flowers, baked goods, prepared foods, and more. At Wednesday’s markets, weekly from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., 20 vendors will be providing a similar range of items.

The decision to start the summer season in two locations was made to keep market vendors and customers safe while the COVID-19 pandemic still requires social distancing. The smaller Wednesday market fits comfortably at High Rock Park, but for the larger Saturday market a more expansive footprint is still needed. A survey conducted among customers, which gathered over 700 responses, indicated an even split in their location preferences.

The markets will continue to follow current COVID-19 safety guidelines for farmers’ markets by hosting socially distanced markets, offering hand washing and sanitizing opportunities, and following mask requirements for vendors and customers. The Saturday market will continue to offer its online preordering and curbside pickup service. Market staff will continue to assess market safety and updated operational guidelines for farmers’ markets and does not rule out moving back downtown when it is deemed safe to do so.

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