The Ventnor City Farmers Market opened the farmers market season at the start of Memorial Day weekend with twice as many vendors as it had last year.
According to Market Manager Penny Starer the market boasted 42 vendors, including some crafters and artists, along with a myriad of food choices and local farmers.
“Most of our vendors from last year returned and we added some new ones,” she said.
The market features live music every week along with children’s activities that will commence once school is out, such as cooking class, pottery painting and more, she said.
Anchoring the market in several locations are local growers who brought their freshest crops.
“All the veggies are green right now, but as summer goes on the colors will pop,” she said. “This is a great opportunity to educate consumers about Mother Nature’s cycle of growing Jersey Fresh produce.”
Other offerings included ready to plant herbs and flowers, baked goods, freshly made pasta, pre-cooked meals and healthy juices and lemonade.
The market is also “plastic bag free,” Starer said.
Vendors will only use paper and shoppers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags. Several local businesses donated reusable bags for the bag share bin where shoppers can pick one up if they forget to bring their own, Starer said.
“The crowds have been phenomenal and surpassing all expectations,” she said. “We expect a quiet June but once children are out of school and people are here for the season it will get really busy.”
The market will be held every Friday morning 8:30 a.m. to noon until Aug. 31 in the parking lot at St. James Church Holy Trinity Parish, Atlantic and Newport avenues, across from the Ventnor Library.
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