VENTNOR –Market Manager Penny Starer Friday morning said the Ventnor City Farmers Market Committee would meet soon to determine if there will be any changes or additions in store for next year’s market.
Friday was the last market of the season, which Starer said was “phenomenal.”
“We have not discussed next year yet, but our vendors have been thrilled with this year’s market. People were stopping by the information tent to thank us. And, the Old Coots were a hit,” Starer said.
At the information tent, volunteer Eve Cohen said there were many shoppers who approached the tent bearing smiles, offering thanks, and saying they were looking forward to next year.
“It’s the best market ever,” she said. “We will miss volunteering.”
Volunteer Rena Baker said it was great to see so many Ventnorites attend the market on a weekly basis.
“We receive a lot of support, not only from vacationers, but also from our year-round residents,” she said.
Maria Gatta of the Red Room Café on Dorset Avenue, who is on the market committee, was busy selling the last of the restaurant’s homemade pasta. Although she was sad to see the market closing for the season, she promised a reprieve in December.
“The market this year was our third summer and it was the best-ever. In addition to shopping, there’s so much to do here with the music and children’s activities, such as face painting and ceramics,” she said.
There were a group of children busy at work painting ceramic figurines a few tents down.
“We are planning to have an indoor market at the Red Room before the holidays, and hopefully, some of these vendors will be there,” Gatta said.
Sidney Stern, who volunteered at the Old Coots Giving Advice tent every Friday morning, said he loved hearing about what’s going on in peoples’ lives – including the good and bad things, he said.
“We listened. I don’t know if we really gave good advice, but they always walked away smiling,” he said. “It could be because of the farmers market atmosphere, but I was in sales all my life, so I’m used to helping solve problems,” Stern said.
