The Downtown Syracuse Farmers Market ended for the season Tuesday. This year marked the 50th anniversary season.
Every Tuesday from June to October, Clinton Square in Downtown Syracuse is filled with vendors. Shoppers can find fruits and vegetables like apples, beets, cabbage, peppers and onions from Central New York farms, purchase handmade soaps or peruse information booths for local organizations.
For the final market of the season, shoppers were treated to free donuts and apple cider and even a performance from “Elvis.”
Robert Travers is the market director for the Downtown Syracuse Farmers Market. He said the majority of the farmers in the market were happy to see more people shopping each week than there were in the peak of COVID-19 restrictions.
“The last two years with the pandemic they were really slow," Travers said. "Fortunately, we had enough grant money to get entertainment every week so we were picking people that would draw people to come out at lunch time rain or shine."
This is Travers’ first year as the market manager. His biggest highlight, he said, is the loyalty of the farmers in attendance.
“Rain or shine we’re standing in our booth and they’re standing in theirs," Travers said. "They showed up every week whether they had something going on at their farm. They always had staff for somebody to come."
Randy Daratt, of Daratt Farms in Cato, has been a part of the market for 20 years. He described this season compared to previous years.
“A little bit of smaller crowds,” Daratt said. “Some of the businesses aren’t back to work yet. It’s improved from last year.”
“You take the good with the bad,” Daratt continued. “You just keep coming.”
Tim Hoxie, of Hoxie Farms in Fulton, has attended the Downtown Syracuse Farmers Market for 40 years and shared similar thoughts.
“Things have come around,” Hoxie said. “They’re strong people. The market is still open so just come down and see us. We support you, you support us.”
Merike Treier, executive director of the Downtown Committee of Syracuse, said the market was built around the town offices but has grown alongside the growing residential population within the downtown area.
“It’s a nice amenity to be able to serve not only the office workers but the visitors and residents of Downtown Syracuse as well,” Treier said.
Another key aspect of that is the food stamp program allowing everyone to shop.
“We’re the second highest user of the EBT system in the Central New York area,” Treier said. "It certainly is significant for a lot of our surrounding residents who may not have access to transportation or access to fresh fruits and veggies all the time to be able to come to Clinton Square.”
With this season’s market at a close, Travers said he’s already looking ahead to next year by starting to arrange the best layout for sellers and hoping to add a fresh meat vendor too.
“Ultimately you come to the market and start at [one end] get to the other end and you’ve got your meal for Tuesday night,” Travers said.
While the Downtown Syracuse Farmers Market is closed until next season, shoppers can visit the Central New York Regional Market on Park Street in Syracuse for its year-round Saturday farmers market.
