B’ville Farmers’ Market returns to village square

Season is June 4-Sept. 10

By Ashley M. Casey

Associate Editor

After a few years of putting down and pulling up stakes at various venues around the area, the Greater Baldwinsville Community Farmers’ Market will return to the village.

Market organizers Mike and Michelle Samoraj announced on the farmers market’s Facebook page earlier this month that the market will once again set up shop in Baldwin Canal Square behind the B’ville Diner. While the market does not officially open until June 4, the Samorajs will kick off the season with the Baldwinsville Spring Market FEST-ravaganza event from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 19.

The Samorajs have hosted autumn indoor markets at their Willow Health & Wellness Center and have organized events such as the Earth Day Half Marathon and spring, summer and fall “FEST-ravaganzas” in Lysander and Van Buren.

At the Feb. 21 meeting of the Baldwinsville Village Board of Trustees, Mayor Dick Clarke said the Samorajs are looking to get more businesses involved in the farmers market. He said they are thinking about featuring a business or service organization each week.

Clarke said he contacted Mike Samoraj a while back to ask about relocating the farmers market. In 2013, the Samorajs brought the farmers market to the village square, but relocated in 2015 VFW Post No. 153 on Salina Street/Cold Springs Road at the edge of the village. The B’ville farmers market spent the last two seasons at Abbott Farms on Cold Springs Road.

Businesses around the square had complained that events such as the farmers market were taking up parking spaces for their own patrons.

“We set it up to use three sides of the square, but not the side that faces Oswego Street,” Clarke told the Messenger. “We didn’t want to disturb them.”

Clarke said the change in venue and timing — the market will start in June instead of May — will draw more customers.

“There’s produce in May, [but] it’s hard to get people excited about the farmers market when you might only have some strawberries or nothing at all,” he said.

The Greater Baldwinsville Community Farmers’ Market will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays between June 4 and Sept. 10. To learn more, visit gbcfarmersmarket.com or facebook.com/BvilleFarmersMarket. If you are interested in becoming a vendor at the farmers market or the Spring Market FEST-ravaganza, email [email protected].