Hagerstown Historic Farmers Market finds new location in 2024: Here's where
The Hagerstown Historic City Farmers Market is moving locations for a third year in a row following the sale of its original location at 25 W. Church St. in 2021.
This year, the farmers market will be held in Hatters Plaza for a more city-central location, according to Brittany Arizmendi, the community liaison for the City of Hagerstown. After the sale of the building, the market was held outdoors in the parking lot of the former Church Street location and at University Plaza.
Hatters Plaza is along the Hagerstown Cultural Trail between West Washington and West Antietam streets and behind The Maryland Theatre.
The shift in locations came after David Blackmon purchased the building three years ago and converted it into Hub City Brewing. The new business is set to open this month and will be a distillery, brewery, winery and cidery all rolled into one.
As for the vendors at the farmers market, Arizmendi said they have changed drastically since the market ran out of the West Church Street location. One of the biggest draws of the indoor market were the breakfast sandwiches, said Arizmendi, which are hard to make outside.
“Obviously it requires a certain amount of effort to set up and tear down the market,” Arizmendi said. “So, I think we did lose some vendors that were set up inside because of the setup and teardown aspect of that.”
While the market lost some of its vendors, it gained numerous new ones. Arizmendi said last year each market averaged around 15 vendors, with around three or four food vendors at these markets, some selling Haitian food, Jamaican food, and Puerto Rican baked goods.
This year, the market received close to 15 vendor applications and will sell goods ranging from handmade candles, baked goods, sourdough bread, food and fresh produce. The official list will be announced in the coming weeks.
Organizers optimistic for strong attendance
Initially after the relocation, Arizmendi said the attendance was low because of both the pandemic and competition from other local markets.
“I think the first year was challenging, because it was a big change from having something that was there for a long time indoors to moving it to seasonal outdoors last year,” Arizmendi said. “Last year, vendor attendance was great, and we probably averaged around 200 customers each market, which I felt was OK.”
Arizmendi said they are “slowly building back” to pre-pandemic attendance numbers for the market.
However, this location is not permanent. Arizmendi said that as the city of Hagerstown changes, the market will move to fit the best location for that year.
The summer season for the market starts on June 20 and will be held the third Thursday of each month through August.
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What about the Hagerstown firehouse?
The Hagerstown firehouse has been located 25 W. Church St. for 40 years. The firehouse was given until Dec. 31 at the latest to relocate, but according to Fire Chief John DiBacco, the terms of the lease for a new location has not been finalized.
“All the operations that are currently here will move to the new location,” DiBacco said. “It will obviously be in the city, but that’s where we are at.”
DiBacco said he and the rest of his department hope for a new location to be secured by July 1 so they can start the complicated move, but he said his hopes for a date are “optimistic.”
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown Historic Farmers Market will be held at Hatters Plaza
