The Bethlehem Farmers’ Market is back for a 12th season! The farmers’ market is open on Thursdays from 11am to 3pm from May 3 through October 25. The market is located in Farrington Square and it offers fresh produce, lunch items, baked goods (like vegan cupcakes), natural soaps, and more! As an added bonus, between 12pm and 2pm each week, there will be live music from local musicians.
This season’s theme at the market is “Say YES to FRESH.” While the concept of fresh has always been present in the farmers’ market, this year’s theme was chosen to be a purposeful and direct call-to-action for the community to not only prefer, but also opt for, fresh whenever possible. This season, the market has beefed up their brand to include brighter, bolder colors that emphasize fresh food. Be sure to engage with the market this season on social media by using #sayyestofresh.
The market also has many new and exciting partnerships with local organizations including Southside Arts District, Lehigh Valley Underground, 99.9 The Hawk, Fig Bethlehem, PEAK TV, and more. These partnerships are important to help the market grow as they try to enhance awareness and attendance. These partnerships will also help to engage and educate the community about the benefits of buying and eating locally produced food. Carlos Barata, the market manager, says, “the support from these organizations will be crucial to the market's growth and sustainability as we strive to increase awareness and attendance. We want to better engage and educate community members about the benefits of buying, eating, and thinking locally and ultimately addressing the food desert issue in Southside Bethlehem.”
One addition you will notice this season are signs throughout the market that show all the market vendors are local, within the greater Lehigh Valley, and they are producer-only. This means what they sell is produced by them. These signs help promote the fact that the items sold at the farmers’ market are more sustainable than conventional items found in grocery stores. Be sure to come out and buy fresh produce, support local farmers and businesses, and reduce your food environmental footprint this summer and fall! More details about specific vendors and events can be found on the market website.